The Tangled Webs We Weave
by LostInLost18
Summary: AU, set after 1x03. Due to his vendetta against Stefan, Damon starts to go after Elena, compelling her and using her to torment Stefan. When he starts to feel for her, that's when it all becomes complicated, a matter which gets only worse as time goes on.
1. In and Under Your Skin

**The Tangled Webs We Weave**

Summary: Set in 1x03, just after Damon leaves Elena's house and before Stefan gives Elena the vervain-filled necklace. Ignores the cute Damon/Elena scene in that episode. Damon makes good on his threat and starts to visit Elena's house and toys with her like a puppet, enjoying the power he has over her and Stefan. But when he starts to like her, and starts to let his guard drop a little bit, things become complicated, as they always do. And the real question comes down to, do you deserve to love someone who you know in your heart of hearts was never yours to love? Delena, obviously.

* * *

_Chapter 1: In and Under Your Skin_

"You see," Damon said slowly, dragging out the next words in order to cause as much pain as possible. "I've been _invited in_. And I'll come back tomorrow night, and the following night, and I'll do with your little _cheerleader _whatever I want to do, because that is what is _normal_ to me."

He'd never seen so much hatred in Stefan's eyes before.

"And," he added, "if you hadn't spent so long drinking Bambi blood, it would be normal to you, too."

Stefan rose to his feet, his expression cold, fury clearly distinguishable in his dark eyes. It was almost chilling, except Damon knew his brother well enough to know he was more at home with words than actions. Plus, Stefan's strength, when compared to _his_ rather showed him up in a poor light; it wouldn't so much be a victory for Damon, as it would an elimination of every single Salvatore who'd ever pissed him off.

"Please, Damon," Stefan implored. "I get that you hate me. You've made that clear from day one. But Elena? She's nothing to do with this…rift between us."

Damon looked amused by his pitiful attempt at trying to reason with his brother. It was a futile effort on his part, the eldest Salvatore could clearly see _that_, and the more he implored him to behave, the more he wanted to go against his brother and just push him to the edge until he fell. It was twisted, bordering on psychotic, but all sense of normality had shot straight out of the window the moment he'd tasted human blood and felt his entire being shift into something cold, dark and lifeless.

"She has something to do with _you_," he remarked coolly. "And even if she wasn't 'dating' you," he snorted at the term, "she's still a human. And, according to you, I use and abuse humans for my own amusement." He smirked. "Don't pout, Stefan, you know you said it. No use denying it like a sorority girl holding a positive pregnancy test."

He rose fluently to his feet.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some evil plotting to do," he said, his smirk deepening. "I'll leave you to help your girlfriend tidy up."

Just as fluently, he was out of the door, his smirk never leaving his face. He took a moment to study the house, speedily walking around it so he could locate Elena's bedroom. Out of a split second's curiosity, he leaped up to examine the room. It was a typical teenager's bedroom, except it was surprisingly neat. He walked towards her mirror, taking a brief moment to admire his reflection, and glanced sparingly at the photographs that were pinned to it. He saw the ones of her parents and felt a brief flicker of sympathy, before it was replaced with indifference.

It struck him, as he gazed at her various photographs, that had Katherine lived in this era, she would've probably worn similar clothes to Elena. As that thought came to him, Damon felt himself shut down; every inch of him entrenched in bitterness at the memory of the love of his life. He could still remember her crooked smile, her mischievous eyes, her seductive voice, her tender expression when he became panicked at the thought the town would discover her identity…And then they had.

He was going to make Stefan pay. Make no mistake about _that. _

Damon quickly left the room at the sound of footsteps and leaped gracefully to the ground. He then headed towards the Grill, so that he could indulge in a little careless drinking before he set about making Stefan's life even more miserable than it already was.

The atmosphere in the Grill was seriously depressing. There wasn't a single hot girl in sight. Sighing heavily, Damon made his way over to the bar and ordered a drink, listening to the nearby conversations for lack of anything better to do. After listening to a few, he concluded that intelligent conversation was an art which would be sorely missed by the world.

He scanned the room listlessly for someone he could feed on, but there was no one he seemed interested in. He preferred to feed on someone young, hot, and preferably female. It just made the act of feeding so much more enjoyable, and it really put the town on edge. It was a dangerous game to play, but he continued to play it all the same. He hadn't been lying about the fact that it all felt normal to him, the way he treated humans, but sometimes he wondered if it wasn't a lack of humanity which made him this heartless, cold blooded killer, but a lack of conscience.

Damon split the hour between drinking and staring aimlessly around the room, wondering how a town could sustain and thrive with such mindless, idiotic citizens. It was like a frustrating riddle, one which constantly circled back to the same answer even though it seemed like such a ridiculous answer to have. He rubbed his head wearily, downed the last of his drink, and headed towards the door, trying to get his head in the game, so to speak.

His trademark smirk reappeared, as he quickly made his way over to Elena's house. He listened out for any signs that Stefan was still lurking around, and then meandered his way over to where Elena's bedroom was.

He saw her. She was evidently getting ready for bed and was currently in the process of tying her hair back. Even though he knew what he was going to do, Damon couldn't help feeling awkward at being here, like he was a stalker or something. He may have been a monster, but that didn't mean he didn't have a moral code…even if it _had_ been distorted throughout the years.

After a few minutes, Elena disappeared from view and the light in her room went off. Rubbing his hands together, Damon concentrated hard, grinning as his trademark trick - the crow - appeared in front of him and then flew up to land on her bedroom windowsill.

He closes his eyes, and opened them again, to find himself inside Elena's dream. He watched as an impassive observer as she proceeded to seduce, then make out with Stefan. It was just such a high school dream to have, and the cliché of it made him want to vomit. But, he sensed an opportunity to make mischief and, within seconds, had planted himself in the dream, so that when Elena was taking her top off - something which only made his cocky grin widen - she looked down on him, instead of her precious Stefan, causing her to scream, which disappointed him considering he considered himself a trade up from Stefan. He didn't expect that kind of reaction, if he was completely honest.

As quickly as he'd entered her dream, he departed and, from back outside the house, he heard her heavy breathing as she recuperated from her 'nightmare'. He rolled his eyes. She had to be the only girl in the entire world who'd scream at her hot boyfriend turning into someone even hotter.

Damon wondered whether to purse his night antics, or just leave it there and continue in the morning. He had a bunch of tricks up his sleeve, some of which even Saint Stefan had no idea he knew. He had Malibu Barbie to play with, so, really, toying and using Elena was unnecessary, even if it did give him a cheap sort of thrill. But, in terms of revenge, it was absolutely necessary, yet there was a part of him - an unimportant part, in the grand scheme of things - which wondered whether he had possibly sunk to the lowest he could be by using and abusing a bereaved girl who, really, was nothing like Katherine.

He shook his head, wondering where all this sentimental drivel was coming from. He decided to leave it, for now at least, and retrieved his phone, looking up Caroline in his phone book, deciding he needed to feed and take out on his frustrations on someone and she was the only person - and he used that term very loosely - who would suit his current needs.

So, with a parting look in Elena's general direction, he zoomed off, determined the fun was only just about to begin…

D&E&D&E

Elena had gone to bed that night with a big smile on her face, confident she'd fixed the rift between Bonnie and Stefan. She knew it was perhaps a bit much to try and force them to get along, but, for once, everything in her life was going well, and all she wanted was to have the people she loved get along which, if you thought about it wasn't that much to ask.

Exhausted, she tied her hair up, and made sure her diary was filled with the day's events. Then, with clear relief, and Stefan on her mind, she slipped into bed and allowed sleep to take over. She couldn't help but contemplate the relationship between Stefan and his brother, Damon, before she completely sunk into oblivion. There was something more to their broken relationship than met the eye, but she was determined not to get in the middle of their feud. Damon seemed charming, but she knew better than to go on initial impressions.

She sighed and drifted off to sleep, a smile on her face from the successful dinner she'd held. Bonnie had told her how Stefan had won her over and that right there was a reason to smile, if ever there was one. With him on her mind, she settled down and felt her entire body relax.

Her dream started off a lovely one. She was with Stefan, their lips welded together with passion. Things became hot and heavy and she soon found herself removing her shirt, so that she was now almost half naked. Stefan smiled and went to remove his own shirt…only to resurface as Damon. Inside her own dream, she screamed…and immediately woke up panting.

Elena felt slightly disturbed by the dream she'd just had. Here she was with one brother, yet dreaming about the other. It was cliché on the one hand, yet on the other it was easily dismissible. She'd just met the guy and, therefore, she didn't have to read anything into it. As long as he never found out he'd dreamed about her, there would be no awkwardness, and she could move past it, no problem.

Even still, it'd been really weird to dream about him, especially in _that_ situation. She'd had a couple of conversations with him, if that, and she'd never had thoughts like that. She'd found him attractive, sure, but only in a gee-you're-too-hot-to-be-real sense. And now, she found she couldn't stop thinking about him. Great.

She threw off the sheets and went over to the window, startling a nearby crow. She opened the window and allowed some fresh, cool air to slap her in the face, which woke her up a bit. The dream had thrown her off, sure, but that didn't mean her whole world had to fall apart. It hadn't altered any of her feelings for Stefan, which could only be a good thing, and there was no sense in telling him about it, because, although he didn't strike her as the jealous type, no boyfriend ever wants to hear his girlfriend has been dreaming about someone else, especially not their brother.

Still, the dream had put her on edge and, as she closed the windows and crawled back into bed, she felt the tiniest trickle of fear crawl down her spine, as if someone was watching her.

It sounded crazy. She felt crazy for thinking it, but all the same she lifted the blankets up past her head and snuggled underneath the covers, searching for security as she pretended Stefan was there with her, protecting her with his broad, strong arms and, before she knew it, she drifted back off to sleep again.

With the scary crow still watching her.

D&E&D&D

The next morning dawned bright and early for Damon. Caroline was tucked next to him in bed, looking strangely child-like. He saw the mark on her neck from his midnight snack and grinned. Being a vampire rocked.

He sat up and shook Caroline awake, being the gentlemen he was. She reluctantly awoke, her eyes searching for his, widening when they saw he was still there. Despite being under compulsion to trust him, it didn't stop her from being afraid of him.

"Come on, outta my bed," he said rudely. "Got other fish to fry, other people to scare, etc…"

"Ok," Caroline said, sitting up. "I've gotta head off to school anyway."

She rose to her feet, her lacy nightgown fluttering carelessly as she moved. Damon eyed her up and down with loose appreciation. What she lacked in intelligence, she made up for in other areas. He watched her get dressed, making the odd lewd comment, enjoying the fact that he had absolutely nowhere to be today, unlike precious Stefan, who had school.

"I don't know what my mom's gonna say when she realizes I didn't spend the night in my own bed," Caroline said, a heavy sigh escaping her mouth. "She'll freak; she always does. I don't get why she does though. I mean, it's not like I'm a child, you know?"

"I've never been a teenage drama queen, so, no, I don't know," Damon replied, sounding bored. "You wanna talk about parent issues? My own father shot me. If you stop whinging about your own pathetic life, you might see your mom's only strict because she loves you." He blanched on the word 'love' and rose to his feet. "Believe me, at your age, that's not something you ignore."

Within the space of a few seconds, he became bored of Caroline's company and wanted to get her out of the house. His thoughts drifted over to Elena and he had an idea.

"I'll drive you to school," he said abruptly.

"Really?" Caroline beamed. "That's so thoughtful."

_You've no idea…_Damon thought, hiding a smirk. The compulsion trick was certainly a nifty thing to possess. She was under the impression he was the perfect boyfriend and, in her eyes, he could do no wrong.

"I know. Aren't I just the sweetest?" Damon returned, his tone dripping with condescension. "Let's go, Blondie, before I change my mind."

Once Caroline was dressed and sorted, he drove her to school, bidding her goodbye in a sort of detached, obligatory way. He couldn't wait to be rid of her, if he was honest, but, for now, he needed her. Even though he wanted to kill her every time she opened her mouth, there was no sense in getting rid of someone who was the eyes and ears of Mystic Falls.

He parked the car and meandered his way through the stream of students, searching for Elena.

"What are you doing here?" a low voice hissed in his ear.

"Relax, Stefan," Damon replied lazily. "Just checking out the menu." He saw Stefan's look and laughed. "Re-lax, Stefan! I was joking… I don't eat trash."

"If I catch you anywhere near Elena…" Stefan warned.

"You won't…catch me near Elena," Damon teased. "I have lightning reflexes, not to mention the fact I, unlike you, have the right sort of diet to deal with you if you did catch me."

Stefan gave a low sort of growl, but couldn't do anything due to the fact they were both in broad daylight, standing in an extremely public place. Damon heard him clench his fists so hard they cracked, and he smirked.

"Aren't you late for class?" he asked, pretending to be concerned. "Run, Forrest, run!" He laughed at Stefan's perplexed expression. "It's from a film, dude. Where have you been? Oh, yeah, that's right. Taking down poor Bambi's mom."

"This is all just a game to you, isn't it?"

"Finally!" Damon exclaimed. "The boy has brains! It's what I've been telling you all along, Stefan. None of this matters to me, none of it." He folded his arms, attempting to look authoritative. "Now, run along young man before you get into trouble with your teacher."

Reluctantly, and with a parting glare, Stefan started to walk off into school, which was just as well considering Elena had just arrived into school. She was with Bonnie and the pair of them looked so carefree, it was almost sickening. He made sure Stefan was well out of sight before he approached.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted them, noticing Elena sort of flinched at the sight of him. His grin widened as he realized exactly why she would be feeling inexplicably nervous around him.

"Damon…" Elena greeted him with a false sense of cheeriness. "What are you doing here?"

"I've gotta dash," Bonnie said, looking apologetic. "Gotta fetch something from my locker before Mr Tanner has a go. I'll see you later." And she disappeared with a wary look in Damon's direction, leaving the two of them alone, which was ideal for Damon.

"She seems nice," Damon observed, a note of false cheerfulness present in his own voice. "That's Bonnie, if I remember rightly?"

"Yes…" Elena seemed confused by the question. "What are you doing here, Damon? You don't go to school."

"I drove Caroline here," Damon said simply. "And, whilst I was here, I thought I'd wish Stefan luck on his big upcoming game. I know how much being on the team means to him."

He was surprised by how easily the lies came to him.

Elena's look of faint wariness disappeared, immediately replaced with a look of surprise.

"Really? I'm sure Stefan will appreciate the support," she said. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you guys but I'm sure Stefan will appreciate your effort in trying to patch things up."

"I doubt it," Damon said lightly, amazed she was lapping up his crap. "I've been trying for what seems like years to get him on my side." _Get him on my diet, I mean._ "But I guess he's resistant." _That's an understatement. _

She gave him a warm smile. "Give him time," she encouraged. "I think you guys just need a fresh start."

Damon honed in on her eyes - they were dark and shiny, like Katherine's, only they contained an innocence Katherine had never even tried to pretend she had. Guilt, of all things, surfaced, but he pushed it back down. He had to remember this wasn't personal. It was just to screw with Stefan. He had promised him an eternity of misery, after all.

"If Stefan gives you anything, I want you to refuse it," he said slowly, meaningfully, as a means of testing his compulsion.

Her eyes widened, the classic sign. Her body went slack, powerless, although the beauty of compulsion was that from afar, it just looked like they were having a conversation and she was hanging on to his every word.

"Ok…" she replied monotonously.

Damon cracked his knuckles, enjoying the power he had. This was going to be an interesting day.

"I mean, even if he offers you a drink, you refuse it," he insisted, knowing somehow Stefan would find a way to bring vervain in the equation, even though he was pretty sure vervain was no longer around. Still, it didn't help to be cautious.

"Ok," Elena replied, her ridiculously warm smile emerging on her face.

That, and her warm, doe-like eyes made the whole damn thing harder. It was like kicking a puppy or something. You just didn't do it.

He took her aside, thinking of another cheeky request he could try to get in before Stefan realized she was missing and fly off the warpath with murder and vengeance in his eyes.

"Elena?" a girl called, snapping Elena out of her trance. "You coming to history?"

Damon rolled his eyes, frustrated at the interruption.

"Um…" Elena looked at a loss for words, looking to Damon for help. "I'll be there in a moment."

"Ok." The girl smiled at her and walked off.

Damon seized the moment and grabbed both of Elena's shoulders, her blood pumping ridiculously louder than normal. He felt his whole mouth salivate, as the insane desire to sink his teeth into her skin almost took over.

"You will forget seeing me here," he recited meaningfully. "Don't say a damn word to Stefan, you understand?"

"I understand," Elena chanted, her eyes drawn to his.

"Good and I, er, I'll be seeing you later," he added, his tongue waggling mischievously. "Bye for now."

And he was gone.

Elena snapped out of her trance and gazed confusedly around, wondering where the sudden heat in her cheeks had come from. She felt like there was something she needed to do and it took her a while before her legs started to move. She kept glancing around, although she had no idea what she was searching for.

Giving up the search, she made her way into history, putting the whole matter out of her mind, although a trace of uncertainty still remained. And all throughout history, she was distracted by the thought that she was missing something. Stefan's various attempts to catch her attention halted when he saw her bite her lip with puzzlement.

It was the strangest feeling of being haunted, but not knowing what exactly was haunting her, which made her think she was going crazy. She certainly didn't know how else to explain it and so, with no other alternative, she uneasily put the matter to bed and concentrated on making it through the day so she could cheer on Stefan at his first game.


	2. Hungry Like the Wolf

_Chapter 2: Hungry Like the Wolf_

* * *

After the morning mischief he'd created, Damon spent most of the day exploring the Boarding House, mostly nosing around Stefan's room, flicking through his various diaries and snorting at the sentimental drivel Stefan could come up with. His phone buzzed and he refrained from rolling his eyes when he saw who was messaging him, immediately regretting giving Caroline his phone number.

He approached the liquor cabinet and removed a bottle of whiskey, pouring himself a glass as he plonked himself down on the couch. Enjoying his newfound freedom, he perused another of Stefan's diaries, mostly out of boredom. The guy used so many _adjectives_ it was almost unreal.

"Damon." Zach's voice caught his attention. "What are you doing?"

"Getting to grips with my baby bro's life," Damon said, putting on a simpering smile. "He really bares his soul here. It's as touching as it is nauseating." He closed the book. "Can I help you?"

"I want to know what your intentions are in Mystic Falls," Zach said, clearly trying to be firm. "I saw what you did to that girl earlier. Elena Gilbert, was it? Not exactly your wisest move, going after the daughter of one of the founding families." He folded his arms. "What's your game?"

"Maybe she's not my target," Damon said, without looking up. "You ever considered that, Sherlock?"

"Well, that makes things even worse!" Zach exclaimed angrily. "You use these poor girls, feed on them, and then drop them like some sort of mindless parasite." He sighed heavily. "Can't you just give it a rest, Damon? Your brother's trying…why can't you? What is it about being human you just can't stand exactly?"

Damon rose fluently to his feet, feeling irritated by Zach's presence. He was itching to snap the guy's neck and be done with it, yet he knew it would raise a lot of awkward questions he really didn't have the time to answer. Plus, Zach's presence was useful, to an extent. It kept out unwanted visitors – a.k.a. vampires – and made his and Stefan's appearance in Mystic Falls less suspicious.

"Mm, you ask a lot of questions, _Uncle_," he said, smirking. "I would answer them but I have lots to do today." He stretched. "Ah, it's good to be home."

He sauntered past Zach, pausing so that he was standing menacingly close to him, his eyes on the pulsing vein on Zach's neck. It would be incredibly, tantalisingly, unbelievably _easy_ to end his life, which was another reason for his general disdain for the human race. They were fragile, _weak_, and it was just too easy to get inside their minds and mess with them.

"Don't even think about it, Damon," Zach warned him, a slight hint of panic in his eyes. "I armed myself the moment I knew you were back."

Damon yawned, looking bored.

"As thrilling as it is to speak to you, Zach, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere," he responded, his eyes lighting up with mischief. "I think school should be out by now don't you? Maybe I'll go and greet Stefan, find out how his day was…"

He gave Zach a parting smirk, and then walked out of the door, feeling a surge of power flare up inside his chest. How Stefan could shy away from embracing this kind of feeling, this kind of _power_, he'd never understand. Pushing Stefan and taunting him about his diet was amusing, he couldn't deny it, but he also couldn't deny the benefits there was in him _not_ partaking in a healthy diet of human blood. It weakened him, for one, and for another it meant that there was plenty more fish in the sea for himself.

Sliding himself into his car, he drove in the direction of the school, whistling a cheerful tune and feeling a surge of glee power through his veins. Stefan was supposed to be playing his big game tonight, which meant there was going to be a big crowd. He smiled at the thought. Big crowds meant he could slip in, unnoticed, grab what he wanted and disappear again. The question was what _did_ he want? He wanted to feed, yet he had Caroline for that, and the itch to do something, make mischief, was overpowering. He wasn't in Mystic Falls to play the good citizen.

Changing direction, he decided to head towards the Grill instead. It was infinitely more boring there but the only other option was to just lurk around the school, which would definitely make Stefan suspicious. The last thing he needed was Stefan sniffing out his cruel intentions and putting a stop to his games. If his dear brother wanted to keep a low profile, well, then it was his moral duty, as an older sibling, to make that task exceedingly difficult for him to accomplish.

"Sheriff…" He nodded politely, noticing Liz Forbes, the town's deputy, hovering by the door. Then, he stopped, another plan hatching inside his devious mind. "My name's Damon Salvatore."

He reached out a hand and Liz took it, her wary smile only natural because of everything that had happened as of late (which had, naturally, all been down to him, the devious – but genius – vampire).

"Damon Salvatore?" she asked, frowning. "Are you related to Stefan?"

"He's my baby brother," Damon replied, grinning, which could easily have been mistaken for a smile of pride (bah, as if!) "Do you know him? He's not been in any trouble has he?"

"No…Quite the opposite in fact," Liz replied, gesturing to a seat so they could sit down. "I've been to the school a few times now and every teacher seems to be surprised by his level of academic intelligence. Does he get that from you?"

"Well, I don't want to brag…" Damon shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "We've lived in a few different states, a few different countries, so we've both learned a lot over our…short lives."

Liz smiled at him, her expression loosening up a little bit so that she looked almost completely relaxed. His plan, which in no short terms involved befriending the local sheriff to deflect as much suspicion as possible from him, was getting off to a brilliant start. But it was natural for it to succeed, because, after all, it was one of _his_ plans. He was notorious for always getting what he wanted, except, ironically, the one thing he'd wanted more than anything else – Katherine.

"So, how come I've never seen you around here before?" Liz asked curiously. "I'm, er, I'm usually good with faces and I think I'd remember a face like yours around here." She chuckled. "A face like yours usually invites trouble. On the girl front anyway."

He laughed. "Oh, I've heard _that_ before. I've just moved back to the area. Me and Stefan are… reacquainting ourselves with the town we grew up in. It hasn't changed that much, from what I remember."

"Oh no, the mayor makes sure this town doesn't become one of those towns which constantly regenerates itself," Liz replied, nodding. "This town has a lot of history. Most citizens here feel regenerating the town would be an insult of the founders who built it."

Damon nodded, although his thoughts had drifted off in another direction completely. He felt nothing but contempt for the town, and for everybody in it. All of those founding families had taken Katherine away from him, a crime he deemed to be unpardonable. He knew it wasn't today's generation to blame but, all the same, it was a struggle to mask his contempt, and his pain, at what had happened a hundred and forty five years ago.

"The town certainly is rich in history," he agreed. "I know its history so well it's like I lived in that era." He smirked at his inside joke.

"I wanted to major in history because of this town," Liz confided, smiling nostalgically. "But then Caroline came along and I had to take whatever job I could get, which at the time was being an assistant to the assistant deputy." She laughed. "I actually enjoy it now, though. I like taking care of people here."

Based on Caroline's bitching and moaning, Damon knew there was probably someone who would disagree quite verbally with that statement. Still, he kept himself engaged in the conversation, realizing it was quite enjoyable to be talking to someone who shared the same intellectual level as him, yet remained clueless about the real goings on in Mystic Falls.

"How come you're here anyway?" he asked eventually, noticing she was in uniform; therefore she was not here for casual reasons. "Trying to catch a villain?"

"I wish…" Liz snorted. "The truth is rather more dull, I'm afraid. There's a football game going on at the school, and because of the animal attack on Vicki Donovan, I've been called in to supervise." She rolled her eyes. "Personally, I don't know why an animal would resurface in the middle of a pitch, but it's better to be safe than sorry I guess."

"I used to hunt when I lived up in Canada," Damon offered. "I could scope out this animal for you. I…" he flashed a charming smile, "…happen to be an expert on hunting. Anything to help make this town safe, I'll do it."

"That's…kind, Damon, but I think we'll handle it," Liz said gratefully. She glanced at her watch. "Must dash, I'm afraid. I need to head to the station before I head over to the game." She shook his hand warmly. "It was lovely meeting you, Damon. I hope we get chance to talk again."

"I'm sure we will," he replied, with about as much warmth as he could muster.

He watched her leave, and then leant back in his seat, smirking at what a genius he was. He fought the urge to punch the air in triumph and decided to order an alcoholic beverage to pass the time. One thing was for sure: small towns may have been boring but, here, there was too much history for this town to _ever_ be boring.

He was going to raise this town to the ground and he was going to make its' citizens pay for what their ancestors had cost him.

D&E&D&E

"You're going to kick some ass out there," Elena reassured Stefan. "I believe in you, Stefan."

She was lying across her bed, staring up at Stefan, who was smiling warmly at her. She was so proud of him for getting onto the football team, even prouder that he'd managed to show Tyler Lockwood up, of all people.

"I've got something for you," he said, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his little gift he'd prepared for her earlier. "I meant to give it to you earlier but… Well, Mr Tanner apparently wasn't going to let his newest player get away that easily."

Elena laughed. "Since when does Mr Tanner let _anyone_ get away easily?"

Stefan smiled, and then opened up the little wooden box his gift was stored in. He saw her eyes widen with surprise at the silver necklace he was showing her. The necklace itself was probably worthless; it was what was inside that was the priceless antiquity, the item which would be of critical importance to her if he was going to protect her from Damon.

"It's beautiful, Stefan," Elena said, feeling uneasy as she realizing she couldn't accept it from him.

"It's just something I want you to have," he said, shrugging as though it wasn't a big deal. "I want you to wear it for me." He hesitated. "Is it too soon? It's too soon isn't it?"

She took his hand. "It's not, Stefan." She inhaled deeply. "But I can't accept it."

"Why not?" he asked, puzzled.

She racked her brains for an explanation as to why she couldn't accept such a beautiful gift. It was the strangest thing… She knew there was no plausible reason why she couldn't accept a gift from her boyfriend, but she knew she had to refuse the gift anyway. Unable to think of a reason, she resorted to lying on the spot, as if that would relieve the pressure of trying to figure out the real reason.

"I'm allergic to silver," she said apologetically. "Can't wear it."

"Oh…" Stefan looked mollified, but his eyes narrowed infinitesimally, unable to shake the suspicion that maybe there was a more sinister reason behind her rejection. "Sorry…" He closed the box, thinking fast. "Can I make you a drink?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, although she felt thirsty.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, rubbing her shoulder, noticing the faint distress in her eyes.

"No!" she suddenly exploded, pushing him away.

Elena immediately felt guilty – not to mention distressed – that she'd snapped like that. It wasn't like her to do that. She let out a faint whimper and blurted out a hasty apology before dashing into the bathroom, closing the door behind her, before gazing into the mirror, searching for an answer she _knew_ was in her head. She sighed heavily, realizing this wasn't going to be solved by her shutting herself away from Stefan and, so, reluctantly, she opened the door, only to find him sitting on the bed, wearing an angry expression.

"Stefan?" she said in a small voice. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay," Stefan said, losing the angry expression at once.

He folded her into his arms, realizing all the classic signs of compulsion were there: distress, anger, violence when the victim (in this case, Elena) couldn't get answers fast enough… She'd been compelled; and it wasn't exactly hard to figure out who was behind it all.

Elena sank into the hug, unable to understand why she felt so confused. She wrapped her arms around Stefan, wishing she could understand why there was a blank in her memory from when she'd arrived at school, to when she'd arrived at her first class of the day. She remembered being driven to school by Bonnie, but after that, there was nothing there, although she was sure she'd been talking to someone.

"I'm gonna need to speak to Damon," Stefan said, through gritted teeth.

"Why?" Elena blinked up at him. "What's your brother got to do with anything?"

"Nothing," he assured her, though his smiled was strained. "But I've got time before the game… I need to talk to him."

"Don't," she said, rubbing his shoulder. "You've only got an hour until kick-off. We need to go." She sat up. "I've quit cheerleading," she confessed, as a need to break the sudden tension that had mounted between them.

The distraction worked, although there was still frustration in Stefan's eyes.

"Why?" he asked gently.

"Because it's not me anymore," she replied, absent-mindedly tugging at his hoodie. "I used to be more fun, you know? Cheerleading used to be my life, used to be who I was. I knew where I stood when I had the uniform on. Now, all it stands for is the life I'll never get back."

She stared sadly at him, wishing she could still have her old life back and yet keep Stefan in it. He stared back, taking her in his arms again and kissing the top of her forehead.

"Come on," he whispered in her ear. "Let's go to the Grille. Get a bite before the game."

"You're on," she said, giggling. "But we can't be too long…"

"We'll only be like twenty minutes…or hours…" he said, kissing her lips hard, in an assault which took her breath away. "Whichever….you…prefer…"

"Stefan!" She laughed. "Okay… let's go."

D&E&D&E

There was a deep excitement in the air, which could only belong to the student population. Damon felt disgusted by the commodity of it all, from the jocks and their underwhelming muscle power, to the cheerleaders with their stereotypical short skirts, and their underwhelming levels of intelligence. He was reminded, in that instant, why he hated the whole education system.

He meandered his way through the crowd, growling at a random guy who suddenly came up to him, screaming about how this school's team would kick ass. Damon resisted the urge to drain him dry, realizing he had to be a bit craftier than a public execution, although he had to concede no one would miss that excellent advert of a teenager who was more brawns than brains.

There was some sort of brawl going on nearby, but he sidestepped it, heading over to the car park so that he could get some damn breathing space. How Stefan could mingle amongst those meals on legs – which was what they were, in all fairness – he had no idea. Normally, the sound of one heart beat could drive him crazy, but the sounds of a _hundred_ had tipped him over the edge. One girl had practically thrown herself at him and he'd had to fight not to rip her to shreds, reminding himself that it was sheer suicide to even _touch_ anybody here, especially with Sheriff Forbes lurking around somewhere.

To his pleasant surprise – pleasant being a mild understatement of a word – Elena was there too, retrieving something from the trunk of a car. Wordlessly, he blurred over to her, lurking behind her so that when she turned around, she found herself staring up at him.

"Boo," he whispered, chuckling at his own sense of humour.

"Damon, you scared me," Elena said, breathing in and out rather more quickly than usual. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here? I'm here to support my baby bro," he said, sticking his hands in his pocket in his best impression of a teenager.

"Really? I didn't think you did that sort of thing," Elena admitted. "Stefan says you're not into sports."

"Used to be," Damon said, surprised when that slip of honesty escaped from his mouth. "Me and Stefan loved football. It was our game. Of course, I was the better, superior player, but Stefan was always good at the tackling, had to be said. Think he enjoyed taking his brother down."

His eyes went misty, as that strange surge of nostalgia took him over. He shook it off after a few moments, realizing all his honest moments seemed to be coming out in front of Elena. How bizarre…

"What changed with you guys? I mean, it sounds like you used to be close," Elena noted softly. "Now, from what I gather, it seems like the two of you hate each other."

"That's a mild understatement," Damon commented. "But I'm here to…set the record straight, if you like."

"That's good," Elena said, turning around to lock the boot of her car. "Because I…" She turned around to find Damon had locked his eyes on her. "I…"

"What did Stefan try to give you earlier?" he asked, bearing his full strength on her.

"A necklace…" she said monotonously.

"What was _in_ the necklace?"

"He didn't say."

"A-ha…" Damon was annoyed. "I bet he has vervain in it, that smarmy little… But where's he getting the stuff? Last I heard, it was all but wiped out."

"What's vervain?" Elena asked.

He stared at her, momentarily forgetting what he was doing. She looked so innocent, so startlingly different to Katherine (in terms of the emotions they displayed on their faces), that he wondered whether this was a mission better left abandoned. But, he knew if he backed down, he was basically slapping Katherine in the face, and pushing her away, because all of this – everything – was because of her. Longing and pure desire had turned into spite and hatred, all of which was aimed at Stefan for being the one to make him turn and the one who just had to have held Katherine's heart as well.

Well, this was his revenge. It was only fair. Tit for tat.

"You're so beautiful," he noted, taking her head in his hands. "You shouldn't be out here alone. Why are you here?"

"I was getting something for Stefan," she said, her tone remaining steady.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested. "This game's a bore. You don't want to see it, do you?"

"No," she replied automatically.

He grinned. "Good. Now _you're_ a person who's making sense."

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he grabbed her hand and tugged her along, her eyes reflecting only confusion. He was aware this was a mild form of kidnapping but, hey, he was a vampire intent on ruining and destroying the town which had ruined his life – metaphorically _and_ literally – so, it seemed kidnapping wasn't really that low on the moral scale.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Back to the Boarding House for a little fun," he said, turning back to her. "Be quiet, and don't be afraid." He stroked her face gently. "If you're going to believe anything, believe this: I'm not going to hurt you… at least not yet."

"Are you going to kill me?" Elena asked steadily.

The lack of terror in her voice, despite his compulsion, amazed him. She was just so unlike anyone else he'd ever come across, and he could fully appreciate for the first time that she wasn't Katherine, not even close. But, then again, that thought had a double meaning, and he felt his face harden. She wasn't Katherine, therefore wasn't on his microscopic list of people he should care about.

"I don't know," he replied. "We'll see."

He tugged her towards her car, opened the door and allowed her to climb in, so that on the off-chance anyone, who held no shred of interest for the game, should see him, it wouldn't look like a kidnapping, at least not from afar.

"Buckle up, kiddo," he said, turning around to grin at her. "I'm going to show you what Stefan never can – a good time."

Elena smiled at him, but it somehow bothered him that he knew the smile wasn't genuine, at least not completely. He shook off his concerns and grinned back, starting the engine and driving at a ridiculous speed until he eventually reached the Boarding House.

"Here we are. Home sweet home," he boasted, stepping out of the car, immediately speeding over to her side of the car so that he, like the perfect gentleman that he was, could help her out of the car.

"Stefan will be worried about me…" Elena said pointlessly, wondering why there was no emotion, no genuineness behind that line.

"Yeah, but Stefan's worried about everything. Global warming; the economic depression; the end scene of Titanic…" Damon replied indifferently.

They entered the house (only one of them voluntarily doing so) and Damon called out Zach's name, hoping against hope the interfering busybody wouldn't be in. After waiting a few minutes, he came to the joyful conclusion that they were all alone and, eager to completely destroy his brother's life, he sped over to the stereo and turned it on.

"This is a tune," he called to a clearly uncomfortable Elena.

He raced down to her, his smile widening.

"Dance with me," he commanded.

He took her arms – gently, of course, because she was very fragile – and looped one around his waist, the other, of course, going around his neck. They swayed on the spot for a while before Damon decided to crank it up a notch. Making sure Elena stayed there, and carried on dancing, he poured her a glass, and took the bottle with him, taking large swigs of it, and performing the odd wild dance move.

Elena eventually lost her inhibitions – thanks to the combination of alcohol and compulsion – and started dancing wildly. She let out wild hoots of laughter, and he joined her, the music steadily getting louder and louder. They linked arms at one point and spun each other round, Elena flying off in the other direction, her loud giggles setting Damon off.

"Oh, this is _so_ much better than a ball game," he groaned, finishing the bottle and tossing it to one side.

He sped over to Elena, who looked quite dishevelled, and whispered something in her ear, something which completely had her in hysterics.

"Right," he slurred. "One thing left to do…"

And he whirled her around with his arm, catching her before she spun away, and allowed his lips to find her neck, his fangs out and ready, like soldiers at attention. Her pulse was screaming in his ear and he found it increasingly hard to resist the urge to just _bite_ her there and then.

His teeth sunk into her neck, satisfying that urge, her hot blood pouring down his throat. He moaned aloud, ignoring her faint whimpers of pain. Taking only enough to satisfy his thirst, he drew himself away and grabbed a scarf – one of Caroline's, funnily enough, that she'd left here – and told her to use it to stem the blood flow, and use it to hide the evidence afterwards.

Elena giggled and leaned in, the alcohol definitely discernible on her breath.

"Do I taste good?" she whispered.

"Definitely," he whispered back. He sighed. "Now, unfortunately, our evening of fun has to come to an end."

"No…" Elena pouted.

"I know, I know," he said, mock pouting as well. "But, like the gentlemen I am, I'll take you home."

He wiped his mouth, grinning broadly as though he was a child at Christmas.

"First things first…" He put his hands around Elena's head. "You will forget this. You will not remember any of this night. If anyone asks, you went straight home feeling ill. You will wear a scarf to cover up your bite mark. If anyone asks about it, say that it was an accident. Make up a suitable excuse. Do you understand?"

"I understand," she replied listlessly.

She blinked and suddenly found herself in her bedroom, her head hurting like hell, and every fibre in her body feeling strange and unfamiliar. Swaying on the spot, she succumbed to sheer exhaustion and crawled into bed, still fully clothed, every inch of her confused, every inch of her exhausted.

And, every so often, in her sleep, her fingers hovered around her bite mark, her dreams featuring a nameless, faceless shadow, with dark eyes and an equally dark laugh. And she felt afraid, although she didn't know why.

Stefan watched her from the window, his face darkening with fear and anger. He felt something stir inside him, an age old hatred which made him shake with an uncontrollable rage. She was fast asleep, her innocence radiating from across the room, and he knew if he didn't do something, that innocence would be gone.

He knew what had to be done.

He had to kill Damon.

* * *

**A/n: Thank you for the reviews! I hope to emulate the success Missing: Presumed Dead has gotten me. I was going to have Damon kiss Elena but he has something darker up his sleeve, as always. But don't worry; the nicer Damon will kick in soon. Not for a while, mind you, but he'll come along. **


	3. Of Broken Dreams and Shattered Memories

_Chapter 3: Of Broken Dreams and Shattered Memories_

* * *

Damon rolled out of bed, the remnants of a drunken smirk hanging on his face. He got dressed, his mind replaying the highlights of last night. At one point, he'd been inches away from Elena's lips – which, like Katherine's, were bowline and this perfect shade of pink, making them look simply irresistible – and he'd somehow managed not to kiss her. It'd been a moronic decision now, but in the heat of the moment something inside him had broken loose, seeping into his brain and trying to remind him that despite outward appearances, she wasn't Katherine. Kissing her would do nothing but feed him more pain.

He grunted with disgust at himself. He'd never listened to his conscience before; why now? He looked at himself in the mirror, envisioning Katherine beside him, her eyes batting flirtatiously as though reminding him about everything he'd lost, everything he was fighting to keep alive inside his own heart. Some days were harder than others; the fact she was alive, yet buried underground where he couldn't reach her, her beautiful body desiccating thanks to both time and the deprivation of blood, drove him mad when he allowed himself to think about it. Part of what he was doing with Elena was a means of distraction, as well as a means of torturing Stefan.

The sound of his phone vibrating caught his attention. No one but Stefan could possibly be calling him, he mused, confusion swirling around inside his already cluttered and frustrated mind. The number on the screen didn't look familiar and so, wary, he answered it.

"Hello?" he asked cautiously.

_"Is that Damon?" _

Immediately, clarity dawned; the memory sunk in. It was Elena. At some point, during the madness that was last night, he'd swiped her phone and put her number in, forgetting to erase the evidence when he'd compelled her to forget. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

"Would this be the lovely Elena?" he drawled, smirking. "How did you get my number? Stefan?"

_"Well…no. I woke up this morning and found your number was in my phone. I have no idea how it got there, so I rang you to see if you knew."_

"No idea," he lied smoothly, sinking back down onto his bed.

_"Oh…"_ There was a brief pause. _"Well, then, I guess I wasted a phone call. Sorry…"_

"Don't be," he said, his smirk widening. "You got school?"

_"Yep. Fun times. What are you up to?" _

"Absolutely nothing," he said breezily. "My – well, mine and Stefan's – house is available if you wanted to play truant." He smiled coyly. "No one would know… It would be our little secret."

_"You are such a bad influence." _He could hear the humour in her voice. _"Hey…have you heard from Stefan recently? He's not answering his phone. I hope he's not mad about me missing out on his game."_

"Knowing Stefan, he's probably off brooding somewhere," Damon said, frowning as he realized he'd not seen Stefan around either. "And from what I know about your relationship, he could never be mad at you."

_"Thanks, Damon." _She sounded surprised, like she didn't expect him to be so kind and reassuring. _"Well, I've er…gotta head out. I'll talk to you soon."_

"I'm sure you will," he said, hanging up.

If someone had told him Elena would be calling him voluntarily, he would've called them mental, insane, and he felt a weird sort of thrill run through his body. It could've just been the effects of the compulsion drawing her towards him, or maybe he was just reading too much into it. Besides, it wasn't like he particularly cared about her. She was just another human to him, who he only left alive and unscathed because of her extraordinary resemblance to Katherine.

But she did raise a good point.

Where was Stefan? He'd not seen him around since last night. Damon wasn't concerned about his whereabouts, but he did feel a bit uneasy not knowing where his brother was. Stefan was hardly unintelligent; there was a good chance he'd put the pieces together regarding Elena's erratic behaviour and was already making plans to kill him.

His jaw set, Damon knew what he had to do to ensure his own survival. Looking around carefully, he sped his way towards his car and slid in, breathing in and out a few times carefully. He wasn't afraid – nothing scared him – but his brother had an unpredictable side which, although rarely shown, meant Damon was an utter loss as to what he was actually capable of doing.

Starting the engine, Damon practically flew down the driveway and down the street, searching for Stefan whenever his eyes could spare a moment. Stefan's absence had thrown him a curveball and he _hated_ being unprepared. He had no idea how Stefan would react to his brother compelling and abusing his girlfriend, but he knew he wouldn't exactly compliment him and join in with the fun. No, he'd want swift and brutal revenge. What he lacked in strength he made up for with determination and that was what Damon was worried - no, concerned – about.

He half contemplated just grabbing Elena and using her as a hostage, before realizing that was exactly what Stefan would be expecting him to do. He had to be craftier, maybe think outside the box a little.

His phone suddenly rang and he saw from the corner of his eyes it was Stefan who was ringing him. Wary, and slightly curious, Damon picked up the phone.

"Hello, brother. What's up? You've been AWOL according to your girlfriend."

_"Cut the crap, Damon. I know what you've done. When I find you, I'm going to kill you."_

"Are we really playing this game, Stefan?" Damon scoffed. "I'm sure you can do better than that. And what exactly do you mean by what _I've_ done? Aren't you the one who's lying to Elena, concealing what you are? At least _I'm_ being honest with Caroline. You could learn a lesson from me."

_"There's a difference between being honest, and being honest and then compelling your so-called girlfriend to forget about your honest moment. You know, considering our history, I would've thought you'd have been the one to reign in what you are. The monster I was is nothing compared to the monster you are now."_

"Keep telling yourself that, Stefan, if it helps you sleep at night," Damon snapped. "I have a list as long as my arm of the reasons why I hate you. You try anything and I'll make sure you're not the only one who suffers an _eternity_ of misery." He smirked. "What d'ya say, Stefan? Want to make Elena our new vampire girlfriend?"

_"You dare…" _

"Oh, I dare, Stefan," Damon said, his voice dripping with sincerity. "I wouldn't push me into doing it." He pulled over so he could concentrate on taunting Stefan even further. "You know, Elena might want this life for herself. You should tell her soon…before anyone else does."

_"What does that mean?"_

"You have a good day," was all Damon said on the matter, before hanging up.

He wouldn't let anyone catch him admitting it, but he was worried. He was infinitely stronger than Stefan – the difference in diet might have had something to do with it – but he didn't like the fact that he had no idea where Stefan was, or even if attacking was even on his agenda. He hated not having things under control.

A small grin emerged on his face as a plan developed. Maybe having Elena as a hostage wasn't an option, but that didn't mean Caroline wasn't. Besides, he was feeling rather thirsty and he felt like coping with her whining and moaning was the least of his problems right now. He turned the car around and headed towards Caroline's house, thankful he'd been invited in.

The moment he drove to her house, however, he could hear nobody was in. His foul mood became even worse and he tapped the dashboard of his car impatiently. He didn't doubt Stefan was probably infuriated with him now, his anger off the scale. The thing that concerned him was that Stefan knew his one weakness was being taken by surprise. In any other situation, he was quick on his feet, with the strength of a hundred humans to boot.

He got out the car and saw someone walking by who inadvertently made his mood boost. He couldn't get to Elena, true, but in order to delay the inevitable Stefan implosion he had to give his broody brother something else to worry about. A smirk uncurled on his face as he realized he had the edge back again. Not that he'd ever lost it in the first place.

D&E&D&E

After her unusual phone call with Damon, Elena wondered whether it was worth deleting his number or not. A part of her couldn't help wondering whether there was something she was forgetting that would explain how Damon's number ended up on her phone. He'd not recognized her voice initially, so she had to deduce he hadn't got her number. That meant she'd had to have put it in… or maybe Stefan.

Yes. Stefan had obviously put it in just in case she couldn't get hold of him. That had to be it. It was a rational explanation and yet she felt uneasy with it. She'd seen the tension between the two brothers, even if no one else had. Stefan hadn't wanted Damon to come in to her house for some weird reason. They'd obviously had one big fight at some point, one that had left scars difficult to erase or heal. She could relate; she remembered Jeremy disappearing whilst in her care when their parents had decided to go out on a spontaneous date. She'd been frantic, almost dialling Matt to come over and help her when she'd spotted her sniggering brother hiding in the cupboard everyone seemed to lose track of. Unimpressed, she'd imploded, yelling bloody murder at him and refusing to speak to him for three days afterwards. It wasn't until the seriousness of what he'd done – making her believe something had happened to him – had sunk in that she'd forgiven him.

The message had sunk in even further after the death of their parents. In his one moment of open honesty with her before closing himself off from her, he'd informed her through bleary eyes that he finally understood her reaction, how that one moment of panic had evolved into a thousand other emotions, like fear and anger, only that unlike that time, their parents weren't going to suddenly pop up alive and unharmed.

Her phone suddenly rang, cutting across her thoughts, her moment.

"Stefan," Elena sighed with relief. "How are you? Where are you? I've been so worried."

_"I'm sorry."_ Stefan sounded blunt, distant. _"I just need to take care of something. I just wanted to check in, see if you were okay."_

He choked on the last word, making her eyes flash with alarm. She clutched the phone tighter against her ear, as if hoping that would help her decipher his words and understand what he was really trying to say. The cold, distant tone his voice contained made her fear a break up, yet his words did nothing to corroborate that.

"What do you need to take care of?" she asked. "Stefan… Talk to me."

_"Can you do me a favour? Can you not leave the house today?"_

She frowned. "That's going to be difficult with both school and the fact I have this party at the Lockwood's to go to. I mean, granted I'm only going for sentimental reasons, but I was hoping I could persuade you to come. I was going to ask you if you would escort me there."

There was a pause. That wasn't exactly a reassuring sign and, for a split second, Elena wondered if she'd said something to offend him. All she could hear on the other end was him breathing.

_"That sounds good. I would be honoured to escort you. Just… be careful okay."_

"Be careful of what?" she asked, but sighed when she realized he'd hung up after his somewhat vague warning.

She ran a frustrated hand through her hair, trying to work out how someone could be so cryptic. There was nothing to be cryptic about and, from what little she knew about Stefan, he just didn't seem to be the type of guy who would string her along and make her believe he cared when he didn't. It led her to one conclusion: he was hiding something from her. And she was sure it had to do with his brother.

But she wasn't going to be able to figure it out without a good dose of determination. Her feelings for Stefan were strong, that she knew without a doubt. It went beyond love at first sight; the connection between them felt deeper, like they'd met before in a different life or something. Yet even though that was the way she felt, she wasn't going to let herself get hurt again. The walls had been built up again and she would only lower them if she was sure she was safe and secure. Right now, she felt like she was on the brink of a discovery. She was afraid, however, because she knew there was a certain kind of security in not knowing things. Why push to the edge what you can't afford to lose? That was her mantra, now.

As Elena went down the stairs to get some breakfast, Jeremy hurled himself down the stairs in front of her, causing her to lean against the wall in alarm.

"Where's the fire?" she called after him, irritated.

He ignored her, shovelling a slice of toast in his mouth as he swung his rucksack on his shoulder and launched himself out the door. Jenna, looking slightly suspicious, rose to her feet, exchanging a hefty look with Elena.

"He's never been this eager for school before," she noted, suspicion in her voice. "Is there some sort of occasion I've not been warned about?"

"Nope." Elena grabbed a slice of toast herself. "I can only think he's racing into school to see Vicki."

"Vicki Donovan?" Jenna pulled a face. "I can tell you, the apple doesn't fall from the tree in that girl's case. Kelly is just the same. I can only see her breaking Jeremy's heart. Then again, maybe you kids see a different side to her than I do."

"No, I can see your point of view," Elena conceded. "She's never said as much as three words to me, except that she was sorry for my loss. But that _was_ at my parent's memorial service."

Jenna gave a soft chuckle. "Not too fond of her, huh?"

"I can't say I approve of her as a choice for Jeremy's girlfriend no," Elena agreed. "But she might be all he needs to pull him out of his funk, so, we'll have to see."

"Speaking of love lives," Jenna said, biting her lip and looking hesitant. "How are you and Stefan?"

Elena bit her lip in a mirrored gesture to Jenna. If that question had been asked earlier, she would've said things were fine. Now, however, she had a lot of questions up in the air regarding her and Stefan. She wasn't as sure of him as she'd believed herself to be.

"He's acting cryptic," she admitted. "He's hiding something from me and I want to know what is it."

"Well, you've only been dating him for a little while," Jenna said reasonably. "There's still time for him to 'fess up. There's probably stuff you're not ready to share with him, and he's not ready to share with you. Give it time and I'm sure you'll know all you want to know."

"Yeah…." Elena smiled. "Thanks, Jenna."

But as she left the house, she realized the suspicions were still engraved in her mind. All she could hope for is that he would give her some much needed answers soon.

D&E&D&E

Damon was half sprawled across the couch when Stefan crashed in, his expression distorted with rage. Alcohol in hand, he rose fluently to his feet and held out a hand signalling Stefan to wait before charging and imploding.

"Might want to keep the noise down," he said in a low voice, grinning. "My guest is a little cranky and needs some sleep."

That stopped Stefan in his tracks: the thought of another presence in the house.

"Who's here?" he demanded, his voice barely above a growl. "Damn it, Damon, what have you done now?"

"Will you stop thinking the worst of me?" Damon demanded, his lips twitching as though he was dying to laugh. "I have made a new friend, that's all. If I'm going to be staying here, of all places, I need to blend in, don't I?"

Stefan started to shake. A low growl escaped from his lips, sounding like a cross between a hiss and a stream of profanities. Damon took in his brother's tortured expression with relish.

"Will you guys just shut up?" someone's angry voice demanded. "God! I just want some peace and quiet!"

"That would be my guest, just FYI," Damon whispered to Stefan. "That means for your information, FYI."

Stefan groaned as he took in the angry girl before him, recognizing the signs before him. Although the last time he'd seen her she'd been in hospital, it was abundantly clear she looked a lot worse now than she'd done then. Her eyes had dark circles, her skin looked paler than normal, and every so often her teeth would skim along her bottom lip, like they were itching for blood.

"Is she a vampire? Did you turn her?" he roared.

"Shut up! My head is pounding!" Vicki moaned, clutching her head.

"She's in transition, if you must know," Damon informed him. "But she's under strict instructions to stay put… for now, anyway."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Stefan, that I'm afraid you're going to do something you'll regret, and so I need some leverage," Damon said, mock concerned.

Stefan gave out a sharp laugh. "I don't think killing you comes under the list of things I'd regret, Damon. You've tormented me for far too long. If I'd done to you what you've done to me, you'd have killed me by now."

_Did he just seriously say that?_ Damon wondered aloud, his fingers clenching into fists at the sheer irony of what Stefan was saying.

"Let's exam that interesting claim, shall we?" he said, his voice dangerously low. "Let's put aside the fact we both fell for Katherine. You had the choice to die and you didn't take it. Again, I can accept that. But to take away _my_ choice? You had no right to do that, Stefan. And the person you became after you turned makes me look like the Sugar Plum Fairy."

"Do you not SEE me here?" Vicki complained loudly, sprawling across the wall, wearing barely anything other than a low cut top and her underwear. Stefan didn't know where to look.

Damon rolled his eyes, flashing a tight smile in Stefan's direction. He half wished he'd picked someone less annoying to turn, but Vicki had seemed the right person. No one would really miss her, plus with a personality like hers it was almost a laugh to see how she would turn out as a vampire.

"What have you done, Damon?" Stefan moaned, his anger dissolving into frustration. "Why? Why her?"

"_Her _is standing right here," Vicki spat, turning towards Damon and beaming up at him. "Can I have some blood?"

"Sure, honey," Damon said, smiling at her. "Want to bring Elena over?" he asked Stefan, leering at him. "Can't really be bothered to leave the house you see."

Stefan was frighteningly still for a moment; then, without warning, he blurred over and slammed Damon up against the wall, the temptation to just drive a stake through him and be done with him almost overcoming him. But his split second hesitation cost him dear; Damon quickly gained the upper hand and flipped Stefan onto the ground, retrieving a knife from his pocket and stabbing him in the side so that he became momentarily incapacitated.

Vicki, to her credit, didn't even flinch. She just seemed to be absorbed in her own problems which, at the moment, consisted of a combined headache and muscle aches which were only normal symptoms of a transitioning vampire-to-be.

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked, through grunts of pain.

"For fun," Damon told him bluntly. "Vicki is…"

"Not Vicki!" Stefan snapped. "I saw the bite mark on Elena's neck, Damon! I thought you would feel for her, considering you two aren't that dissimilar."

"How'd you figure that one out?" Damon snorted.

"Because you both lost people you loved. Because you both put a good show face on despite the fact you still hurt over the past. Because you shut down because you think it'll make it easier to deal with the pain!" Stefan shouted, rising to his feet rather clumsily. "I could name a few more if you want?"

Damon turned away. "I'm not interested, Stefan."

He wasn't about to admit it, but Stefan was getting to him. The more he tried to ignore them, the more the similarities between himself and Elena stood out. Despite the fact he was determined to see only Katherine, and not the girl underneath, he couldn't ignore the fact that he might not have been the only one still grieving over a past event.

"Want to go get some blood, sweetheart?" he asked to Vicki, smirking at Stefan. "Don't give me that judgey look, Stefan. Either she gets some blood in her system, or she dies. I'd love to know how you explain that to your girlfriend."

Stefan stared at him, his eyes containing nothing but betrayal and despair. Despite himself, Damon felt the tiniest bit of unwelcome remorse enter his system, mixing with his blood and acting like a toxic chemical slowly poisoning him from the inside out.

"Can you at least get her to drink animal blood?" Stefan asked quietly, his eyes closing in resignation.

"This is non-negotiable, Stefan. This is my mess; I'll control it," Damon told him firmly. "And why should I make her into another you? One Stefan is bad enough without there being two running around."

Steering Vicki out the door, he paused to take in Stefan's shattered expression before giving his brother one last piece of advice.

"One dude to another, I'd be careful about how you act around Elena. The more you hide from her, the quicker it's going to be before she snaps and breaks up the relationship." And, just to make the blow hurt even more, he added, "She's got my number if that should happen and she needs a shoulder to cry on." The corner of his lips tugged upwards. "Ta-ta for now, little brother."

And he left promptly, feeling a surge of triumph swell inside his chest. Unfortunately, the downside to his day was that Stefan had managed to rain on his parade by actually making him feel slightly bad for what he was doing to Elena. He shook himself trying to stop the floodgate from opening. He couldn't allow himself to feel anything other than hatred and anger. Once you felt, it meant hesitation, and then a conscience, would develop.

He'd put his heart on the line once before. It'd proven to be a fatal mistake on his part. But remembering how it felt to love someone with all your heart, and remembering believing they loved you back, was a powerful memory he couldn't erase. And a small part of him envisioned that kind of memory only switching Katherine with Elena. Somehow, he knew she was the kind of person who would never advocate false love; that when she loved, she loved for real.

_What am I thinking? _he asked himself irritably_. Grow up, Damon. These past 145 years should be proof of how falling in love is the worst thing that can ever happen to you._

In that moment, Damon remembered himself and decided the plan had to go on. He needed to completely break his brother before he gained anymore satisfaction. It sounded twisted – it probably was – but he had to remember these 145 years of misery and anger was all down to Stefan and his weakness. He'd wanted to die and that choice had been robbed from him. Presenting a bleeding girl in front of you whilst in transition was never going to end with him walking away with his head held high. He'd never been given a choice and that's what he resented Stefan most for. Actually, that came second to the resentment he felt for Katherine having turned Stefan as well.

It was supposed to have been just him.

And because of those ruined fairy-tale dreams, everything that happened from here on in rested entirely on Saint Stefan's shoulders.

* * *

**A/n: Big thank you to my reviewers and people who faved/put this on alert. I love you for it. I decided to turn Vicki a little early because I often wonder what would've happened if Vicki had turned and Elena had remained clueless about the vampire world. It definitely changes events further down the line and gives Damon some more time to be evil/tortured. This chapter really was about establishing the groundwork for later chapters where Damon really examines his motives for torturing Stefan. Next chapter will include a Delena moment, but whether it's good or bad I will keep to myself lol. Just keep reviewing and all will be well ;D **


	4. The Shape of Things to Come

Chapter 4: The Shape of Things to Come

* * *

Damon guided a slightly giddy Vicki out of the house, aware Stefan was following behind, probably gaining about a centuries worth of frown lines into the bargain. Rolling his eyes, Damon decided to make the game a little bit more fun. Pushing Vicki ahead, he licked his lips, wondering who to choose as her first victim. Caroline? No, he needed her unfortunately. Bonnie? There was something about that little demon girl he didn't trust, didn't like.

It was troubling, and somewhat disturbing, how every one of his thoughts seemed to advocate the importance of making sure Elena stayed out of his games.

"So?" Vicki prompted, swinging her arms around. "Where's the blood?"

He grinned.

"I've got a game for you," he told her, flashing a smirk in Stefan's direction. "You can choose who you get your first taste of blood from. Small point - it helps if it's someone you care about." He winked at her. "Blood tastes so much better when you know the person you're draining."

"Stop it!" Stefan roared. "Vicki - you don't have to do this. Don't follow Damon's advice. I can help you."

"Help me do what?" Vicki asked sullenly, moving closer to Damon. "_Damon's_ trying to help me. All you're doing is yelling and looking angry."

"Yeah, Stefan," Damon agreed, smirking. "Yelling and looking angry isn't going to help the poor girl now is it?"

Stefan's look was one of pure anger and rage, with just the merest hint of betrayal and despair. Damon relished it all, every part of him feeling alive and energetic. This was just a taste of the revenge he was going to unleash, and already he felt weirdly high. This was just the shape of things to come.

"Damon!" Another angry voice entered the mix. "What are you doing?"

He didn't know whether to be irritated or amused by Zach's involvement. He turned slowly, noticing Zach's night attire and allowed a smirk to uncurl. What did Zach think his presence would achieve? If Stefan, a vampire (admittedly a weak one), did nothing to set him back on the moral path, it was a laughable assumption to make that Zach would've achieved that same endgame. Still, he grew tired of his uncle's presence in his life and, without even thinking, he sped forwards and snapped Zach's neck.

Vicki let out a sharp scream, a move which made her clutch her head in alarm. Every little sound would penetrate her skull; he remembered the feeling. To give credit where credit was due, she didn't run. Rather, her expression seemed to contain sick fascination. Stefan looked like he was either going to murder him, or going to vomit.

"There." Damon looked satisfied. "You've got a job to do whilst I babysit the newborn."

He grabbed Vicki before Stefan could even think about attacking him and steered her out of her sight. He was already regretting his decision to turn her, not because he'd developed a conscience but because he was going to have to keep an eye on her to make sure she didn't interfere with the grander plan. Turning Vicki had been one of those ideas that seem bright at the time, but then later turn out to be a complete waste of time and energy.

"Can I go see Jeremy?" Vicki asked eagerly, seeming to have forgotten her predicament.

"Jeremy?" He was unfamiliar with the name.

"Elena's little brother," Vicki elaborated, her pupils darting about wildly. "He was the one who brought me into hospital last time I was bitten." Her eyes widened. "You bit me!" she gasped, remembering the truth.

He relished the fear on her face. That was the natural order he was used to: humans fearing him.

"That I did. Now you get to take out your frustration on someone else," he said, eyeing her carefully, taking note of her mannerisms and behaviour. "I don't think it's safe to be around Jeremy right now."

"But you said - "

He closed his eyes, well aware of what he'd said. He'd told her that feeding from someone you knew gave you more pleasure. Her desires were all over the place right now; he knew she was conflicted between seeing Jeremy and, bluntly speaking, eating him. He found it twisted that his primary concern wasn't with the other Gilbert brat but with Elena. Having Vicki in the same house as her, in the state she was in, spelled trouble.

Still, he needed Vicki on his side. He had to play along with her desires because when she turned, she was going to be either the manipulated or the manipulator. He had to ensure she knew he was in command here.

"Fine." He exhaled sharply. "To the Gilbert house."

"Good." Vicki beamed. "Jeremy will know what to do."

"About what?"

"About the fact I'm so hungry," Vicki bemoaned. "He has food."

"Yeah, but the kind you're after is inside his body," Damon pointed out as they walked towards his car. "So unless you're prepared to turn him into your snack, I suggest we make this a quick visit. Like a thirty second kind of quick visit."

"Right…." Vicki didn't appear convinced. "You'll let him help though, right? He's a good kid."

Damon scrutinised her carefully.

"Right," he lied, opening his car door for her. "Now, get in. Soon you'll be feeling all better. Admittedly, you'll be dead, but who'll care?"

He chose to ignore the flash of hurt that appeared on her face. If this experiment of his proved to be a disaster, he knew he wouldn't hesitate to stake her and be done with, let Stefan clean up his mess. The only problem was how to keep him and Stefan from being chased out of town and still create all the mischief he wanted, all away from the eyes of the so-called watchful police force of Mystic Falls.

He was a master of improvisation. He'd make something up.

He just wished he could get the image of Elena's shiny, tear filled eyes out of his mind. If he wasn't careful, this would get very complicated, if it wasn't already.

D&E&D&E

Elena tied her hair back up in her ponytail, indulging herself with a late night cup of hot chocolate to take the edge of the day off. Her fingers traced the mark on her neck, a momentary frown appearing on her face. Where had that come from? She could only assume Stefan had made the mark whilst they'd been indulging themselves in some dangerously near R-rated moments. But still, there seemed to be dried blood around the edges, and that she couldn't really explain.

There was a quiet knock on the door downstairs, which she could only assume to be Stefan. As she rose to her feet, she heard Jeremy on the stairs and decided to let Stefan come to her. Why he would drop in like this without any prior warning puzzled her, but she couldn't deny she needed the company. Perhaps he could shed some light on this mysterious bite mark on her neck.

To Elena's surprise, however, it was a female voice she could hear. Judging by Jeremy's tone, it was someone he knew and liked, therefore using very little detective skills, she deduced it had to be Vicki. Sighing, she finished her hot chocolate and took the cup downstairs, ignoring Vicki's presence. It wasn't that she didn't like the girl, she just knew she was not good for Jeremy.

As she passed by, the strangest thing happened. Elena expected a flash of contempt to pass across Vicki's face (Vicki had never really disguised how little she thought of Elena) but the look that actually passed across her face was a mixture between longing and hunger. Elena shuddered, and made her way into the kitchen. Jenna was out at the Grille, which meant the house was slightly devoid of the smells of burned cookery. She said slightly because Jenna had attempted to make some kind of fish dinner, and the aftermath of that experiment still hung around in the air.

Elena hummed to herself as she washed her cup up and stacked it away. As she went to walk away, her thumb brushed against a knife which had carelessly been left on the side, resulting in the faintest of cuts emerging. Sighing, Elena turned back to the sink with the intent of placing her thumb underneath the cold tap, but another surprise awaited her instead. Vicki was right in front of her, her expression distorted with pain.

"Vicki?" Elena gasped, surprised. "Are you okay?"

Jeremy joined her, looking intensely surprised by Vicki being here. Elena felt suddenly wary around her, even though she couldn't pinpoint why she felt that way. Vicki looked almost demented, with her lips twitching visibly and her eyes wide open.

"Vicki?" Jeremy looked uncertain. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Vicki blinked and her face crumbled into normality. "Listen, you got anything to eat? I'm starving."

Elena felt disapproval worming across her face. As much as she'd tried to bonded with Vicki during her years with Matt, she'd found selfishness was very much integrated into her personality. She always had an ulterior motive and was very much the bane of Matt's existence. Her showing up here, searching for food, was just a new low. But trying to convince Jeremy to stay away from her would've been about as productive as trying to get Stefan to open up.

"Sure," Jeremy replied, looking eager to help. "What do you fancy?"

"Blood," was Vicki's blunt answer.

Jeremy and Elena simply stared, unsure how to react.

"Kidding," Vicki told them, rolling her eyes, which would've put Elena's mind at rest had she not spotted the fact that one of Vicki's eyes was fixed upon her still bleeding cut.

The sound of the door opening caught all their attention. Damon, of all people, swarmed in, looking around with a smug look Elena didn't like.

"Damon? What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously. "I didn't hear you knock."

"I can assure you, Elena, I did, you just weren't paying attention," Damon told her, a glint of humour in his eyes. "I'm here to escort Vicki home."

Jeremy eyed Damon up, a clear look of jealousy on his face. Elena stared confusedly around, wondering why there Vicki looked unhappy about the arrangement. She ran her thumb underneath the tap during the silence that followed, puzzled when she saw Damon leaning in towards Vicki, whispering something in her ear. By now, you could almost feel the palpable tension radiating off of Jeremy; had she not been uncomfortable with the situation, she might've found it funny.

Stepping backwards, her hand slammed down on the countertop where the knife was, a loud cry of pain escaping her mouth as the blade dug into her skin (again). Cursing aloud, she kicked the knife to one side, giving Jeremy a meaningful (and angry) look as he sauntered forwards to put it away. A deep gash appeared on her hand, and this time it was more than a spatter of blood which appeared.

A loud burst of movement made Elena spin around in alarm. Vicki had surged forwards, her hands scrabbling towards Elena like a wild beast. Damon ran forwards, dragging her backwards, a strange feral noise escaping Vicki's mouth. Jeremy's mouth fell open, the confliction between helping and hindering Damon showing on his face.

"Get her out of here," Damon told Jeremy.

"_Her_ is right here you know," Elena said coldly.

"Then go!" he enunciated loudly. "It's probably the drugs that are making her act like this, but I want to be on the safe side."

Jeremy pulled Elena along and they ran up the stairs, both of them freezing at the sound of Vicki's frustrated shriek. Elena started shaking, putting her hands over her face.

"What's he done to her?" Jeremy exploded, looking furious.

"What makes you think he's done anything to her?" Elena found herself coming to Damon's defence.

"Well, she was fine before he showed up," Jeremy snapped, his expression edgy. "Who is he anyway?"

"Stefan's brother," Elena muttered, wondering if her brother had a point. Then again, Damon had always been nice to her. "His name is Damon."

"I'm going back down," Jeremy announced. "Vicki needs me."

"Are you insane?" Elena protested. "She's not in any state to see you. She tried to attack me!"

"We don't know what she tried to do," Jeremy told her coolly. "Let's get all the facts before we denounce her as being a junkie. I know you don't think of her as anything but that, but I see past that. There's a lot more to Vicki than you'll ever know."

And he walked off without another word, leaving Elena alone on the top of the stairs. She ran into her room and retrieved her cell phone, pressing buttons frantically until she retrieved Stefan's number.

_Vicki acting funny. Tried to attack me at my house. Come round? Need you xx _

She would've called, except her voice seemed to have stopped working. She tried to process what had just happened. The wild look in Vicki's eyes was akin to an animal's during a hunt; as far as Elena knew there was no drug which could force one human being to try and attack another. Then again, her experiences in the drug industry was limited to simply seeing them on TV.

Elena slid to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest. There was something about this she didn't like. Vicki's casual joke about wanting blood ran through her mind and she wondered if… No. She stopped herself in her thoughts, telling herself not to be so silly. But her fingers found the bite mark on her neck and she suddenly forgot how to breathe.

A knock on the door had her screaming in alarm and running for her bed. Damon's head popped in, his eyes taking in the sight of her sprawled face down on the bed.

"You okay?" he enquired, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yes," Elena replied, the reply muffled by the bed.

"Uh-huh." Damon raised an eyebrow. "I know for a fact that's the exact position I take up after a fun day." He sat on the bed. "I took Vicki home."

That caught her attention.

"Already? But I didn't hear your car…"

He cupped his hands around her face, seizing the opportunity now she'd sat up. His eyes focused in on hers.

"Forget what happened here tonight. As far as you're aware, Vicki stopped around for a bit to see Jeremy, then left because she had a headache. That is all you know." He scrutinised her, checking no traces of vervain had come into contact with her. "Oh, and you've decided to turn in early tonight. You look exhausted."

He had no idea why that last instruction had been added in there. Her pale face and frightened eyes - well, blank eyes now - had been ingrained into his mind. It was frighteningly ironic that he held all the power, yet she was the one to make him yield to her, like he was a hormonal teenage boy running errands for his teenage crush.

Elena nodded, and then blinked. She stared at her door and sunk back onto her bed, feeling inexplicably exhausted. Her phone buzzed all of a sudden, catching her by surprise. She picked it up and looked at the message from Stefan. It confused her intensely.

_Make an excuse and then come outside. I've got to talk to you xx_

She yawned loudly.

"Not tonight, Stefan," she muttered. "We'll talk tomorrow."

And with that, she turned her phone off and went to get ready for bed.

D&E&D&E

After compelling both Elena and Jeremy to forget - something which, surprisingly, gave him no pleasure to do - Damon stepped outside, only to be greeted by a snarling Stefan, who looked about five seconds away from murder. Barely batting an eyelid, he sauntered by, giving him a lazy wave.

"Nice night," he commented. "Sorry I couldn't make it to Zach's funeral. Babysitting."

Stefan pinched the ridge of his nose, his temper clearly close to bursting point.

"You have caused so much damage," he whispered, his anger barely concealed. "Do you not _think_? Alright, maybe asking if you have a conscience is a bit of a stretch, but do you not have a shred of intelligence at all?"

"I have more than you," Damon fired back. "If you had any intelligence, you'd embrace your nature. I hear it reduces frown lines by up to ninety percent."

"Funny," Stefan scoffed. "I see your sense of humour hasn't been lost along with your soul."

"Soul?" Damon questioned, rolling his eyes. "If you're still thinking we have a shot at heaven, think again, bro. You're just as soulless as I am. You were once quite the heartless, soulless being if my memory serves correct."

Stefan's cocksure attitude certainly took a hit there. His eyebrows knitted together and he went very quiet.

"That was a long time ago," he murmured, looking ashamed. "At least I found my way back onto the moral path."

"Tell me one thing," Damon commanded, looking genuinely curious. "You could've fixed everything by compelling Elena not to trust me. Why haven't you?"

"Because unlike you, I'd rather not take her choice away," Stefan snapped. "If I compelled her, even once, that would make me as bad as you. And when this charade comes crashing down, and it will, I'll be the one she trusts and respects, not you."

"I don't give a damn what she thinks of me," Damon declared contemptuously. "Let her hate me. I don't care."

All of a sudden, Stefan seemed to smirk, a gesture which was so uncharacteristic it temporarily robbed Damon of speech.

"If that were true," Stefan said slowly. "Then you wouldn't have compelled her. You wouldn't have gone out of your way to do that. There's a part of you that cares for her. That part of you is the only reason I'm not tearing you limb from limb right now. Even after all you've done, I still have hope you'll find a way to feel again."

Damon stared agog, wondering how to recover from such a speech. He felt a sudden rush of hatred for Stefan for bringing him to the edge of actually feeling again. The monster within him roared at him to do something that would disprove Stefan's precious theory. He smiled cockily, a gesture which had Stefan looking alarmed.

"Oh, Vicki," he called, keeping his eyes glued to Stefan. "Won't you come out and play?"

Stefan watched with growing dread as Vicki stepped out of the shadows, her mouth covered with blood. Just behind her, sprawled across the floor, was the owner of that blood. It was her brother, Matt's.

"What have you done?" Stefan asked, looking horrified.

"Oh, relax, Stefan," Damon commanded, grinning at Vicki. "He's not dead. Though I must admit, he's certainly not the life and soul of the party. I've seen more personality in a gravestone." He chuckled at his own joke. "When he wakes up, he won't remember his sister tried to eat him, but he certainly will go out of his way to make sure Elena doesn't end up with you." He shrugged. "And if he proves to be annoying, I can snap his neck like that." He clicked his fingers for good measure. "This town means nothing to me, Stefan. It holds only bitter memories. So save the lecture and get out of my goddamn way, 'cause I'm going to raise some hell." He motioned towards Matt. "He's your problem now. I'd take him back if I were you; he looks sort of…drained."

He gave a wild kind of laugh and meandered his way over to Vicki.

"Bet you want more blood don't ya?" he asked.

"Mm-hm." She wiped her mouth. "Where are we going to get more blood though?"

"Town's crawling with people," Damon told her, flashing Stefan a cold, cruel smile. "You can have your pick."

"Really?" Vicki smiled. "Then I pick… her."

She pointed up at the Gilbert house.

"Why her?" Damon asked, losing the cocky smile.

"Because she's closest." Vicki shrugged. "And she's always been kind of a bitch to me. I know she thinks I'm trash, that I'm not good enough for Jeremy but guess what? I'm stronger."

Damon looked at Stefan, who gave the tiniest of smirks.

"Fine. Go after her. See if I care," he said, shrugging.

As Vicki made to move, there was a half a second where a million emotions flickered across Damon's face before he reached out and stopped her. He could practically feel the smugness radiating from his brother.

"Not her," he said firmly. "Her being dead serves no purpose to me." Then, cruelly, he added, "Not yet anyway."

Vicki pouted, looking unhappy. Stefan let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Well, let's go get some more blood," she said sullenly. "I'm still thirsty. Or hungry. Whatever. This whole gig blows anyway."

Damon's smirk resurfaced, although it never quite touched his eyes. He was starting to worry that he was going soft. All he could think about was how grateful he was that now Vicki hadn't been invited in. She was now a vampire, which meant he was going to have to use time and energy, which could've been put to better use (like trying to get Katherine out of the tomb), teaching her the dos and don'ts of the vampire world.

"This will all come crashing down on you, Damon," Stefan said quietly. "And when she finds out, she'll hate you. You think you don't value her opinion, but you do. You feel when she's around."

"All the more reason to let Vicki devour her as a midnight snack," Damon retorted.

"You won't kill her," Stefan said. "I won't let you hurt her anymore. You're done here."

"Oh, we'll see." Damon narrowed his eyes. "That lifetime of misery I promised you? It doesn't have an expiration date. And I'm going to get every bit of use out of it as I can. You mark my words."

And storming after Vicki, he left Stefan alone outside Elena's house, a sense of quiet confidence flowing through him.

Soon, he'd have Katherine back, Stefan's life would be in tatters, and Mystic Falls would be drown in a river of blood. He could hardly wait.

His plan was set in motion, every detail was imprinted into his mind, yet despite his burst of confidence, the only thing which lay undecided in his mind was the fate of Elena. Somehow, he couldn't see himself killing her. Obviously, it was because of the connection to Katherine, and not because she brought out all these stupid human feelings to the surface. He could make her a vampire, but then she'd haunt for him eternity, making him feel guilty for all the misery he caused her.

Damn it. Why did he even care? Despite her outward appearance, she was nothing like Katherine. Katherine had this amazing fire, this wonderful laugh that made you laugh too, and she was an amazing lover. And yet despite all her virtues, he had to remember she'd fallen for Stefan too, which put a damper on his good mood.

Elena and Katherine were completely different people. He knew that, hell, even Stefan knew it. The problem was they were constantly blurring into one right before his eyes, into this one desirable being.

And the thing about this one desirable being? She was more like Elena than Katherine. Fierce, but protective. Kind but strong. Loving but guarded.

Damn it.

Damn it.

_Damn it._

He was so screwed up. He blamed Stefan for this. He blamed Stefan for him loving Katherine, yet wanting Elena. Why was he so damn greedy? This was messed up, even for him.

Damon suddenly found he needed a drink. Maybe what he was feeling wasn't anything. Maybe he was just overreacting. He hardly knew the real Elena from the Elena under compulsion. He had to remember where his loyalties truly lay. If it came down to it, he'd picked Katherine every time.

With his confidence restored, Damon continued walking into the night, his head turning back every so often towards the Gilbert house.

* * *

**A/n: Thanks for the reviews guys! I've got a good idea where this is heading now. What'll happen now? Will Elena discover the text she sent to Stefan? Will he ever 'fess up? What'll happen to Vicki? What is Damon's next move? Stick around and all will be revealed soon. Small point, Elena won't find out about Damon's compulsion for a while so keep that in mind. Next chapter features more Dark!Damon so that's another reason to keep reading :D**


	5. Can't Fight The Feeling

Chapter 5: Can't Fight The Feeling 

* * *

_Dear Diary, _

_I woke up this morning with the strangest sensation in my stomach. It took me a while to figure it out but it was fear. Pure, undeniable fear. I tried to write in here earlier but I couldn't figure out what I wanted to say. And though that made sense after my parents died, it doesn't make any sense now. _

_I tried to talk to Jeremy about it, but he isn't really into talking with me anymore. The most I get out of him is one word answers or, if I'm real lucky, an irritable sentence about how he's okay and for me to leave him alone. I can't really talk to anyone. Bonnie wouldn't understand. Caroline doesn't listen if it's not about her - I'm sorry. That was harsh but true. The only person I can talk to is Stefan, except… _

_I don't know. Maybe it's just a hunch. But I feel like he's hiding something. And I'm worried whatever it is, I'm not going to like it. Maybe it's something to do with Katherine? I don't know, but I figure I've got to ask soon. I mean, I know I'm not exactly showing 'fun Elena' but I'm trying! Each day waking up and realizing mom and dad aren't going to be downstairs cooking breakfast still hurts. People have got to understand that stuff doesn't ever go away. Maybe Stefan is still hurting over Katherine. _

_I don't know, diary. I'm speculating at the moment. This could all be in my imagination. One thing's for sure, I need to get to know Stefan better. I hardly know anything about him, and anything I have learned I learned from Damon, strangely enough. That's not really the way relationships are supposed to work, right? _

Elena paused, her pen in mid-air. She chewed her lip anxiously, unable to shake the feeling there was something else she was supposed to have written down. Unable to formulate much more, she closed her diary and decided today's mission was going to involve finding out more about Stefan. Tonight was the night of the Lockwood party and she was yet to ask Stefan whether he would escort her to the party.

She quickly got dressed and glanced at her phone. Stefan hadn't messaged her for a while and she was getting worried. She sent a short but sweet text message and then got dressed. She decided to tie her hair back, opting for a differing look. As she brushed her teeth, she subconsciously felt the mark on her neck, gazing at it with confusion and blended in fascination. It didn't look like a hickey, yet she had to accept that was all it was. A wry smile crossed her face as she realized Stefan obviously played a little bit rough.

"What you smiling about?" Jenna asked, joining her in the bathroom.

"Nothing." Elena looked at her aunt. "Hanging low?"

"Like a bitch," Jenna admitted. "Why am I such a pushover when it comes to alcohol?"

Elena laughed, passing Jenna her toothbrush. There was a moment's silence as they brushed, but Elena spotted Jenna eyeing the mark on her neck, the decision to confront her resting in her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat. Somehow, the excuse _oh, Stefan gave me it - I think - but I can't remember him actually giving it to me, sorry _would suffice. Luckily, Jenna evidently decided it wasn't her business and exited, the night's events evidently having taken their toll on her.

She didn't have school, so she was stuck wondering what the day's events would involve. Her phone vibrated and she saw Stefan had sent her a text back, asking if she would come over. Her heart sank when she saw the words 'we need to talk', although she was sure she was reading too much into it. That would've convinced her had she not remembered those were the exact words she'd said to Matt before she'd broken his heart.

Elena picked up her phone again and replied she'd be over there shortly. If he was going to end things with her, she'd rather get it over and done with rather than prolonging it.

Suddenly her phone rang, startling her. She picked it up cautiously, half expecting Damon for some reason.

"Hello?" she said, sounding nervous.

"_Elena, it's me!"_

She frowned, checking the number.

"Caroline? Is that you? Why aren't you on your phone?"

"_Ugh. My phone died on me so I had to use a pay phone. Listen, what are you wearing to the Lockwood party? Damon wants me to wear blue but I liked the yellow dress. He doesn't like it though, so I need a second opinion."_

"Go with what you want," Elena advised. "Why is Damon so concerned with what you wear anyway?"

There was a nervous pause.

"_He doesn't. He just thought it looked better." _Was she imagining the terror in Caroline's voice? _"Gotta go 'Lena. Got to find stuff to accessorise my outfit. Bye!"_

And thus ended the shortest conversation Elena had ever had with Caroline Forbes.

Elena scratched her head, suddenly worried. The hitched breathing she'd heard indicated Caroline was upset. It had to be Damon. Her off the cuff comment about Damon not liking her outfit had caused the cogs in her brain to whirl. Was it possible Damon was mentally abusing Caroline, controlling her and making all her decisions for her? Because in all the years Elena had known Caroline, she'd never known her friend to worry that much about what outfit she wore. She usually just wore what she wanted and made it look so good nobody could complain, only admire.

Now, Elena had an extra reason for going to the Boarding House. Worry started to build up in her chest; she wasn't a panic attack type of person, but at this moment she felt like she could break down with all the different types of anxiety she was feeling. She was worried about her and Stefan, worried about how Caroline was doing, and with all that going on, she had to live with this nagging guilt that there was a much bigger picture to look at.

She sighed and decided to head off to Stefan's house. If Damon was abusing Caroline in some way - and she would give him a chance to defend himself, just in case she was reading too much into it - then that was her main priority. She had a duty to her friends more than she did to Stefan.

D&E&D&E

At the Boarding House, after a strenuous night of babysitting Vicki (there was no other way of putting it), Damon helped himself to a third glass of whiskey. Gulping it down, he watched blankly as Vicki came in, her hair a mess and her body containing very few clothes. If he was being brutally honest, he was bitterly regretting turning her in the first place. He'd done it mostly out of boredom, and as a way of really messing up Stefan's life, but he'd not counted on the fact she was a pathetic character he really could have done with not knowing.

"I need more blood," Vicki said bluntly, staring at herself in the mirror. "Can we go out and get some?"

"Sure," he replied, lazily resting the glass against his chin as he considered his next move.

The comet had passed, but there was still a margin of opportunity if he retrieved that crystal tonight. However, trying to figure out his next moves was proving difficult, what with Vicki proceeding to turn the music up and starting to dance. He eyed her with little more than contempt, figuring as soon as he had retrieved Katherine's crystal - well, Emily's to be precise - his first order of business had to be staking this bitch. She was starting to become a nuisance.

"First, let me show you something." He rose, suddenly finding a way to deviate his boredom. "Let's go outside."

Stefan, however, had reappeared from nowhere to rain on his parade, his brooding forehead even larger than usual. He blocked the door, his arms folded, and his eyebrows extremely close to his eyes.

"You've made your point, Damon," he commanded sternly. "You made this mess, don't roll in it. Keep her inside. Please."

"Why?" Damon demanded. "She's a vampire - she should know the perks. I mean, other than being able to rip apart everyone who pisses you off, that is."

"Don't be a buzz kill," Vicki complained. "I wanna know!"

Without waiting for Stefan's reply, Damon slipped past his brother, with Vicki in tow, and they waltzed onto the lawn, the fog of the morning being the only thing keeping Vicki alive at the moment.

"What happens now?" Vicki asked breathlessly, her eyes widening, presumably at the fact that everything looked as clear as a high definition picture to her eyes.

"Watch."

Damon zoomed away from Vicki, causing her to look puzzled. She looked around and he whistled, causing her to turn and stare at him with growing wonderment. He repeated the action and she laughed wildly.

"Go ahead and try it," Damon encouraged.

Vicki nodded, licking her lips as she readied herself to repeat the action. Gearing herself up, she broke into a run and then promptly disappeared. Stefan, who'd followed the two of them out, glared at Damon, who looked faintly surprised.

"My bad…" he admitted.

"This fog's going to lift you know," Stefan said casually, every word weighing heavily with meaning. Damon sensed there was a punch coming. "The sun's going to come out and guess what? She's going to _die_. And we have no clue where the hell she is!"

And then came the punch, which made Damon stumble backwards a little bit, but he regained his composure fairly quickly.

"It's one less annoying bitch in the world," he sniped. "What's the problem? There are plenty more like her."

Stefan gaped at him.

"How can you be so callous?" he demanded. "If Elena finds out - "

"Maybe it's time she did," Damon interrupted impatiently. "All this keeping secrets bullshit might work for you, but not for me."

There was a moment where Stefan looked murderous, and his hand twitched by his side, and Damon merely smirked, confident Stefan wouldn't kill him as long as he kept up this nonsensical belief there was humanity somewhere in between his bones.

"I'm going to find Vicki," he announced. "You in or you out?"

"I thought she didn't matter either way?" Stefan asked sourly.

"Nope, but she's a mess that needs to be cleaned up, if you catch my drift," Damon said, winking.

"You're a cold hearted bastard, you know that right?"

"And you're a little ray of sunshine in my sky," Damon simpered, baring his teeth in a grin. "Relax, Stefan. Just think of it this way - by the end of the day, whatever happens, it'll all be over."

"Yeah, that really is a comforting notion," Stefan muttered darkly, glaring when his comment was only met with a smirk from Damon.

D&E&D&E

Elena approached the Boarding House with a mixture of wariness and fear. She knocked on the door twice before waiting impatiently, finding she couldn't stop moving on the spot. She wrung her hands together anxiously, trying to work out what she was going to say - to both brothers.

She knocked again when no one answered, the force she put behind it inadvertently causing the door to open. They really had to lock their doors better. Anybody could just walk in.

Tentatively, she walked inside, calling Stefan's name, finding every fibre of her very being screamed at her to run, although she couldn't understand why. She'd been here before, a few times now, and yet it seemed to have a different significance and she couldn't figure out why. After a few moments of struggling for a memory that wasn't going to surface, Elena gave up and decided to search around for any clues as to where Stefan and Damon were. Technically, this was breaking and entering, but she had to get answers which, in the long run, were more important to her than the consequences of breaking into a house with low security.

"Hello?" she called softly, finding her way over to the stairs. "Stefan? Damon?"

Something told her they weren't home and she should just go, except there was something else that told her to stay, a strong tug which insisted she at least explore a little bit. If Stefan was going to resist her attempts at getting to know him, perhaps she should have a sneak peek, see why he was so resistive. She told herself she'd take a quick look inside his room and that was it. Her mother once told her you could learn a lot about a person just by the layout of their room, a remark which had led her father to jokingly remark that judging by the state of Jeremy's room, he was either a hurricane, or an animal, because his room didn't indicate a civilized human resided there.

Elena's mouth twisted into a half smile at the memory, realizing a lot had changed since then, including her.

She was surprising by the layout of the first floor. Deep red carpets and walls a deep oak in colour and texture greeted her, some of which were accompanied by décor, like carpets and paintings. Mesmerised, she walked a little down the corridor, noticing there were a lot of rooms here. Her head however pointed her in the direction of a half opened door, her mind again begging her to just walk away, that anything she needed to know about Stefan would be revealed to her in good time, but she ignored it.

Stefan's room did indeed reveal a lot about him. Everything was organized, very well kept, and there seemed to be an air of history about it, an air of wisdom. Bookshelves and shelves stacked with decanters and little ornaments charmed her eyes as they perused the room with interest. Wondering what kind of books Stefan kept, she navigated her way towards the shelf, noting as she got closer they weren't just any books - they were diaries.

Remembering Stefan said he kept a diary, Elena perused the collection with interest, her eyes narrowing as she took in the dates on each one. They were organized by decade, which didn't make any sense for many reasons, and the collection seemed to date back to the late 1850s. Though she knew instinctively it was never okay to read someone's diary without their express permission, curiosity niggled at the back of her mind, and one particular date seemed to have a lot of journals dedicated to it: 1864.

Trembling, Elena opened up the diary on a random page, her eyes taking in the careful calligraphy style of handwriting. The paper didn't feel like paper, she noted, and it seemed to be a faded brown in colour. It was exactly the kind of paper she imagined people in olden times to have written on.

Inhaling deeply, she began to scan the page, her eyes taking in the odd name - Damon, Katherine were the recurring ones - and one particular passage had her entire body going cold.

_Lady Katherine talks of the many plans she has for the three of us. I am assuming she is referring to the fact she is a vampire and no doubt wants to turn us. I cannot help but fret over her fate, for every day the townspeople talk of hidden dangers. Their whispers are coded, naturally, but I am beginning to sense a restlessness in the town. Damon feels it too. _

_Sometimes I stare at myself in the mirror and try and imagine myself in the manner of Lady Katherine. Dark, piercing eyes, sharp teeth, and a deep, unquenchable thirst for blood. Whenever I enquire about the aforementioned plans, however, Lady Katherine assures me everything will be happening soon. _

_Father would be positively horrified if he knew my plans. But Father has been preoccupied with Jonathan Gilbert and a few other local townsmen, so I have that to be thankful for. If he knew what Lady Katherine was, I fear his wrath would be unfathomable. The town would rain blood._

Elena could only pick out one word from the passage.

_Vampire. _

Vampire.

"_Did Vicki say what kind of animal it was?" _

Vampire!

"_She said it was a vampire…"_

Elena's hands were over her face as she remembered that conversation, something she'd quickly discarded due to Vicki's less than coherent state.

She heard the door downstairs and froze, terror filling her body. Now she knew what Stefan - and, most likely, Damon - was, they weren't going to let her live. A quiet whimper escaped her lips, something which ended up being a complete mistake. The door to Stefan's room flew open and he walked in, his eyes taking in Elena's shaking body.

"Elena?" he asked, confused.

"Stay away from me," she warned, backing up as he advanced towards her. "I mean it!"

A look of dawning comprehension emerged on Stefan's face, followed immediately by a look of resignation.

"You know," he stated.

She exhaled sharply as he inadvertently confirmed what she'd only just begun to realize. Her eyes blurred before her as frightened tears burst their way to the surface.

"You're a vampire," she moaned, the diary which had confessed all spilling out of her hands and to the floor. "You all are - Damon, Katherine…"

"Katherine's dead," Stefan assured her, stepping forward.

"Stop!" she commanded, backing away so fast her body slammed against the wall. "Don't come any closer."

"I won't hurt you. Elena, it's still me," he begged, looking hurt.

"I don't know who you are anymore," she said, eying the exit, her pupils dilating frequently, her face ashen in colour. "Just … let me go."

"I can explain," Stefan begged, his hands in front of him, a sign of surrender she wasn't taking. "Just…. Let me explain."

"No."

And she took off, meandering skittishly past Stefan, almost bowling down the stairs in her terror. She gasped as she saw Stefan there, her mind unable to comprehend how he'd beaten her there.

"Let me go." Anger was quickly replacing terror. "Please!"

The door opened at that moment, with Damon sauntering through with a sullen Vicki at his side. Catching her hadn't been easy - he'd regretted teaching her the lesson in speeding around - but she was so predictable in her patterns, it hadn't been that hard to locate her. His eyes quickly took in the situation before him; Elena's terrified expression and Stefan's begging expression seemed to say it all.

"Go and get Vicki some food," he said bluntly, handing Vicki over to Stefan. "I don't care if it is Bambi, just get her out of here and I'll take care of this."

"No!" Stefan roared, causing Elena to cower in fear.

"Let me go," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. "I won't tell."

Damon eyed her, a look of almost malicious enjoyment crossing his face, and it was that look which made the anger inside her boil over again.

"I won't say it again, Stefan. Get Vicki out of here," he said firmly, every word dripping with authority. "I can make this all better for everyone."

Stefan looked as though he was going to argue further, but Elena's alternating glares at the both of them seemed to convince him otherwise. He took hold of Vicki's arms, ignoring her protests, and gently dragged her out of sight, which left Damon and Elena alone.

"Let me go, Damon," Elena pleaded, resorting to begging when it was clear no other method would help her preserve her life. "Please." "But Elena, if I did you'd run off and tell someone," Damon said, in a sing-song voice. "I can't have that."

He was enjoying the terror in her eyes, enjoying the power he had over this frail human. A part of him, however, wasn't so much enjoying the show. Katherine had never shown fear, and he'd admired her strength, but here was her doppelganger whose vulnerability was on display for all to see. It would be so easy to end her life, or better yet make her one of the undead, but he had no intention of doing either. The latter course seemed an inevitable one he would take at some point, just to rub it in Stefan's arrogant face even more, but right now, he was trying to keep a low profile and having two newborn vampires running around would hardly achieve that.

"I won't," Elena promised, wondering who would even believe her if she said anything. "Please…"

It was the look of betrayal in her eyes which touched a nerve for Damon. She'd started to care about him, started to let him in as someone she could count on to come to for advice (mainly about Stefan). That was all gone now and he found he genuinely had no idea what to do. He didn't want to kill her (he was trying to convince himself it was because he had bigger plans for her, but maybe that was just a lie to reassure himself) and he didn't want to turn her. So, what other choice was there?

He walked forward, trying to ignore the fact she flinched at his sudden movement and put both hands around the side of her face.

"It's for the best," he told her, his tone one of indifference. "Forget what you've discovered. Forget about coming here. Go home and forget that there are vampires in the world."

Compelling her was arguably the easy way out but having Elena know at this point in time wasn't convenient for him. He had this whole idea of how to drop the ball and having her be so inquisitive hadn't been factored in at all. He had to have a word with his dear brother about both the security of their house (where any human or, indeed vampire, could just walk in) and about the type of things he had lying around.

Elena's face went blank and once he'd finished his instruction, she looked confusedly up at him before walking out the door. Once she'd closed the door behind her, he let out a sigh of relief, before Stefan ambushed him, pinning him to the wall with one hand.

"You compelled her? Again?" he roared. "You idiot!"

"Don't touch me," Damon snapped, easily manoeuvring himself out of Stefan's grip. "I handled it, okay? And, bonus, you still have a girlfriend. You can thank me later."

He brushed himself down.

"And Vicki?" Stefan gestured to the moody looking girl he was still attached to. "What to do with her?"

Damon was no longer in the mood to dispose of her. Right now, he needed a drink because there was a fierce battle between his seemingly nonexistent conscience and every vampire desire imaginable.

"Do what you want with her," he said carelessly. "Train her to be your lovable but dull sidekick or just kill her. It's your mess now."

"Are you really that callous? Do you not really give a damn about anything but yourself?" Stefan demanded.

Damon turned around slowly, making sure his eyes (and the hatred in them) landed on Stefan's, his tongue navigating itself around his lips as he debated whether to give the polite answer to that question, or the R-rated one which involved a lot of usage of the F-word.

"I did care about someone," he said slowly. "Her name was Katherine. You took her away from me."

There was heavy meaning in those last words, words which genuinely frightened Stefan as he gazed into his brother's remorseless face.

"Stay away from Elena," he warned, gripping Vicki tight to convey the message to both vampires. "I will kill you if anything happens to her."

"How long have I heard that for?" Damon asked, bored. "Stop preaching to the choir, Stefan. I am a vampire. Killing is in my nature. I don't discern between people the way you do." He eyed him carefully. "Now, haven't you a party to get ready for? I know I do."

And he walked away, smirking as he heard the quiet growl escaping from Stefan's lips. Life was good.

D&E&D&E

The parties at the Lockwood estate were always formal affairs. Masquerade balls, parties celebrating anything even remotely noteworthy about the town's history, elegant dinner parties and pageants were just a few of the events that featured on the year's schedule.

Damon remembered with certain fondness the day he'd signed the register for Mystic Falls. Naturally, numerous things had changed since then but one thing had remained constant and locked within his heart, her face always appearing in his dreams like an angel of the night, though he knew you could never describe Katherine as an angel.

"I'm bored," Caroline whined from next to him. "Can we go and dance?"

He resisted the urge to growl.

"I don't do dancing. You know that," he replied shortly.

"It's Elena and Stefan!" Caroline beamed, either ignoring or simply not hearing his irritable reply.

He turned his gaze and saw Elena on Stefan's arm, her face a picture of contentment. She was wearing this beautiful dress and had her hair half up and half down. He found himself staring despite himself.

"Hi guys," Elena greeted them, her eyes finding Damon's.

"You made it then," Damon enquired, unable to resist stirring things up a little. "Stefan wasn't sure if he wanted to go or not."

"What?" Elena frowned, turning to Stefan.

"The Salvatores aren't usually invited here," Stefan offered, by way of an explanation. "I wasn't sure if that custom had changed. Apparently it has."

Elena smiled, appeased.

"Stefan," Caroline suddenly asked, her voice uncharacteristically shy. "I want to dance but Damon doesn't want to. Can I steal you for a dance?"

Elena looked startled by the request; Stefan merely looked uncomfortable, an expression Damon was accustomed to seeing.

"Dance with Caroline," Elena suddenly said, smirking up at Stefan. "You can get to know her."

Her ulterior motive there, of course, was Caroline, being the town gossip, might possibly be able to scrounge something more out of Stefan than she could. Damon's ulterior motive, of course, came in two parts: one, it got rid of Caroline for a bit, and two, it stole him some alone time with Elena, something Stefan was clearly not happy about.

"Fine," he eventually said.

"Ooh, yay!" Caroline beamed, linking her arm through Stefan's. "See you guys later."

Damon and Elena simultaneously watched their dates exit the building to where the dance floor was. Elena shifted, unable to shake the feeling this arrangement was something she should be escaping from.

"I think it's important for Stefan to make friends," he said, as a way of breaking the ice. "He needs to blend."

"I know," Elena sighed. "I'm trying to get to know him but it's hard."

"He's hard to get to know right?" Damon guessed. "Yeah, Stefan's never liked talking about his past. Particularly about….her."

"Katherine?" Elena guessed. "Why?"

"Bad memories." Damon shrugged.

"What was she like?" Elena asked curiously. "You presumably met her."

"I did." Damon nodded, extending his arm as he gestured for them to walk. He was vaguely surprised when she slipped her arm through his. "She was very beautiful, a lot like you in that department."

He saw her blush at the compliment and resisted the urge to smirk.

"She was very passionate, knew her own mind, and was a real… go-getter." _In every sense of the phrase. _"But she was also selfish and impatient, sometimes cruel, but I guess you could say her virtues made up for her vices."

"So, which one of you dated her first?" Elena asked shrewdly.

He smiled.

"Nicely deduced," he complimented. "Ask Stefan - I'm sure his answer differs from mine."

"She must've been quite a woman, for you to have both loved her," Elena deduced quietly.

His eyes flashed with suspicion.

"I never said I loved her," he said quickly.

"No," Elena conceded. "But it's all over your face. You loved her just as much as Stefan did."

Damon cursed himself for walking into that. She was psychoanalyzing him and he was letting her! But he found he was enjoying it, enjoying talking about Katherine because she was actually showing interest. But he missed Katherine, and all she was doing was serving a dark reminder that she wasn't Katherine and that unless he put his plan into gear, he'd never see Katherine again.

"I'm sorry," Elena suddenly said, as they came to a stop, her arm slipping out from under his.

He frowned, caught off guard by her comment.

"You lost her too," she clarified, causing him to freeze.

_Damn it. _

Just when he thought he didn't give a damn about her, she pulled a hat trick like that and completely disarmed him. He was feeling around her, almost human, and it frightened him more than he could say. This was getting dangerous now. He was walking on dangerously thin ice, ice so thin he could see the dark, unfathomable depths below.

"Are you okay? I didn't upset you did I?" Elena asked, studying his expression. "I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries."

That did it for Damon.

He didn't need her concern.

He didn't want her _pity._

He didn't care for her, despite the fact every fibre of his being seemed to contradict that point.

Looking around to see if anyone was around, in a remarkably careless gesture (even for him), his eyes darkened and the veins around his eyes popped out, causing her eyes to widen with alarm. His teeth slid on display and he grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand as his teeth sunk into the side of the neck.

Something trickled down the side of his face, but he ignored it, enjoying the rush of blood down his throat.

He stopped before he completely drained her, allowing her to drop to the ground, unconscious. And that's when the guilt took over like a bullet to the head. A look of horror spread across his face. _What had he done? _

Wiping his mouth, he had half a second to decide what to do as he could hear Stefan and Caroline on their way back.

"You are a really good dancer. You should give yourself more credit," Caroline babbled, aware Stefan was entirely distracted.

Stefan froze as they returned to the room they'd left their dates in. His eyes took in the room carefully, his ears searching for any audio clues as to where they were, before he eventually had to turn to Caroline, who looked just as nonplussed as he did.

"Where the _hell _are they?"

* * *

**A/n: Thank you for the reviews. It's going to be a while before Damon's head gets unscrewed lol and realizes yeah he might actually give a damn about Elena. But next chapter is Stefan's big confession and there's a few confrontations between different characters so look forward to that! Keep reviewing - to me, they are like blood to a vampire pun DEFINITELY intended :P **


	6. Watch Me Burn

Chapter 6: Watch Me Burn

* * *

Time passed at an achingly slow rate.

_Tick._ _Tick._ _Tick._

He could heart her heart beating – admittedly faintly – and felt like perhaps this was one rash action he could end up regretting. He hadn't meant to leap out at her like that, but every little mention of Katherine just drove him insane. It'd been the pity which had done him over. He wasn't used to people feeling sorry for him, and he'd thanked her by vamping out on her.

Damon tapped the edge of the couch with irritation, looking from one unconscious girl to the other. Vicki was sprawled across the floor, having been rendered unconscious with the use of a friend called Vervain. It'd been the only way he'd managed to swing both his and Stefan's presence at the party.

Shifting ever so slightly, he had to wonder how long it would be before Stefan came storming through the door, demanding his girlfriend back. Damon was almost cheered up by the thought of the brawl that would occur should Stefan see the fang marks on the side of Elena's neck. There was no way in hell he could cover _them_ up.

Elena shifted, taking him by surprise. He examined her curiously, realizing the fact that her heart was even beating still meant she would be okay. But he wondered whether to compel or not. It was the easy way out, but he was getting bored of compelling her left, right and centre.

Taking his hand, he delicately caressed Elena's face, wondering how one person could be so fragile, like a porcelain doll. She was just as pale, presumably from the blood loss. Raising his wrist to his mouth, he tore open a vein, before putting it against Elena's mouth, hoping she would take the proffered blood.

"Come on," he murmured, holding his bleeding wrist to her inactive mouth.

She slowly came to life, her mouth initially not recognizing the substance offered as blood, so her lips reached out for the proffered substance. The blood escaped from his wrist down her mouth, and she made several gulping motions.

"Atta girl," he commended, unable to suppress a sigh of relief.

He'd not killed the human after all.

Once her body had recognized what the substance, however, she started to splutter and choke. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes – it was only to expected.

"Welcome back to the real world," he said sarcastically, lifting up her head so she didn't choke on the blood. "It sucks – excuse the pun."

Elena didn't register him until her eyes rolled onto his, the fear flooding her brown eyes the moment she saw his smug look.

"Damon!" she gasped, sitting up fast.

Her eyes then flew onto the figure on the carpet.

"Vicki?"

"Yes, she might be out for the count for a while," Damon replied cheerfully. "Dosed her with some vervain Stefan carelessly left around."

Elena looked at him with confusion.

"Vervain?" she enquired, before feeling her neck.

Her fingers found the fang marks and the memories came flooding back, each one hitting her at what felt like a million miles an hour.

"Vampire!" she yelled, falling off the couch in an effort to run away.

"Now, now, there's no need for name calling," Damon said, his voice dripping with amusement. "I'm not going to hurt you…again." He looked wistfully at her neck. "That was an accident."

"What were you aiming for, my head?" Elena yelled, anger replacing fear, although traces of the latter still remained on her face. "Keep away from me!"

She ran to the door but he beat her to it.

"How did you - ?"

"The magical gift of _speed_, my dear Elena," he drawled, enjoying watching her absorb the truth.

Elena glared at him, before trying to run in the opposite direction, which resulted in the same thing happening.

"Get out of my way!" she demanded. "_Now!_ I want to go!"

"Are you…_afraid _of me?" he demanded, sounding mock incredulous. "I did apologize for the mark I left on you. Complete accident."

He could hear the teeth shattering together inside her mouth, the fear gripping her hard. The anger melted away into sheer terror. She held her hands over her face and slid to the floor, huge, heaving sobs bursting their way out of their body.

"Crying never did anybody much good," Damon pointed out.

He wasn't being harsh; merely stating a fact.

"If you're gonna kill me, just kill me," she begged, looking up at him.

He felt uncomfortable by her stare. Her wide eyes made her look too innocent, made her look too human when he was trying so hard to demonise her, to make it seem like she wasn't worth a damn, that she was dispensable.

"Not likely," he said eventually, giving her a smile. "Where would be the fun in that? Keeping you alive is _much_ more fun."

Curiosity seemed to take hold of her for the merest of moments. He could see her studying him carefully, before she tried to take off again. He'd caught up with her within three strides, grabbing her arm and shoving her on the couch.

"Okay, let's be clear about something," he said slowly, dragging out every word. "My exceptional speed isn't just restricted to running about the house. I can catch up with you _whenever_ and _wherever_ you go. I can smell you, can hear your heart beating, so escaping is futile."

Elena drew her legs up, her frightened look strangely getting to him. He could see she was shaking and he decided to put her mind at ease.

"I'm not going to kill you," he sighed. "If you can believe one thing, believe that. You're no use to me dead. That wouldn't serve my greater agenda."

"What agenda?" she snarled.

"Ah, ah, ah, that would be telling," he teased.

Vicki suddenly stirred, her arms and legs snapping into life.

"Yeah…kinda had to incapacitate her just to be sure she wouldn't run," Damon responded, noticing Elena's horrified look.

"How is she - ?" Elena asked, before shutting her mouth, deciding she didn't want to know.

Once the sensation had returned to her body, Vicki rose fluently to her feet, her eyes darting around wildly until they'd spotted Damon and Elena.

"Why did you poison me?" she spat. "That stuff was _vile._ Felt like I was on fire."

"Yeah, well, you did try to run, sweetheart. And I had other plans," was Damon's casual explanation.

"Is she a - ?" Elena asked, unable to finish.

"Yeah, I'm a vampire," Vicki said, looking at her mockingly. "And you can stop speaking like I'm not in the room. I know I've never been good enough for your baby brother, Elena, but I've got more power than you."

"Ladies, ladies," Damon said cautiously, sensing this was going to end in bloodshed.

Something else had occurred to Elena, which momentarily distracted her from Vicki's murderous stare.

"Is Stefan like you?" she asked flatly.

"Yep, only broodier, less handsome, " Damon announced, giving her a grin. "C'mon, Elena, cheer up. We're all friends here."

"Why did you attack me?" she asked, trembling.

He opened his mouth, and then closed it. Why open his soul for _her?_ The truth, nine times out of ten, just wouldn't satisfy. Most people would rather be placated by a lie than hurt by the truth – even if they wouldn't admit it.

"I lost control," was the easiest half lie he could come up with. "My bad…"

An angry retort built up inside Elena's mouth, but she swallowed it, evidently deciding it just wasn't worth her time trying to banter with a vampire.

Suddenly the door burst open, and Stefan flew in, his eyes murderous. He looked around, saw a frightened Elena, and a very much active Vicki, and didn't even think twice. He lunged at Damon, who sidestepped him neatly. Stefan then whirled around and sent a punch in his brother's direction. It connected with Damon's jaw, sending his head snapping to one side.

What evolved was a fierce battle between the two brothers. Elena couldn't tear her eyes away, her heart torn between feeling anxious for Stefan, and feeling terrified that she would end up being caught in the middle.

Damon flung Stefan against the wall, brushing himself down before raising a hand, signalling a temporary ceasefire.

"Don't be obvious, Stefan," he warned. "We have company."

"I should've killed you the moment you set foot here," Stefan breathed, looking murderous.

"Yeah, but your life would've been dull and predictable," Damon chirpily pointed out.

"Better dull and predictable than chaotic and nightmarish," Stefan retorted. "Let Elena go."

"She's free to go," Damon said with a shrug. "I've not compelled her."

Elena frowned at the term but didn't waste any more time. She scooped herself off the couch and bolted for the door. She cast a last look back at Stefan and Damon, both of whom were staring intensely at her, before she disappeared out of the room and out the front door.

"Why did you let her go?" Vicki complained loudly, licking her lips. "I'm _hungry!"_

Stefan glared at Damon, stepping forward with the intention of ending his brother once and for all, but there was something wild in Damon's that caught him off guard.

"You will pay for what you've done to Elena," he vowed, almost snarling with rage. "You taunt me for making you turn all these years, and you're toying with her emotions just like I did to you. She's not Katherine, Damon. Don't try and turn her into your toy."

"Just did, brother," Damon drawled, looking remorseless. "And you know what? She tasted _good._"

Stefan lunged towards him, infuriated beyond belief, and managed to lock both hands around Damon's neck before he felt something plunge into his back. Proceeding that came a painful sensation, like his very blood was being set on fire, and he immediately knew what was happening. A wave of betrayal washed over him.

"Vervain?" he choked out, looking at Damon.

"I tried it your way, brother," Damon said coolly, watching as Stefan collapsed to his knees. "It got boring."

"Why – Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked, his face contorting with pain.

"Because I _can_," Damon said simply, kneeling down so he was level with Stefan. "I warned you I was going to do with your little cheerleader what I wanted. It's not my fault you underestimate me."

He patted Stefan's shoulder.

"Never mind, bro. Guess I gotta be the one to go see if she's alright," he added, smirking. "You just lie down." He turned to Vicki. "You – come with me. You can go see Jeremy."

"Finally." Vicki flounced towards the door. "I thought being a vampire would be fun, but so far it's boring."

"Well, it's not fair to coop you up," Damon cooed mockingly. "Let's go."

Before he did anything else, he grabbed Stefan, half pulling, half dragging him along before slinging him into the cell in their basement.

"Just got to keep you under control, I'm sure you can understand," he said, flashing him a smirk before disappearing.

D&E&D&D

Elena practically flung herself through the door, like she'd suddenly transformed into some sort of athlete. Tears smeared her face, smudging her make-up, and somehow the bite marks on her neck made her feel _marked_, like she'd lost her innocence in some sort of way. She felt tainted, almost, and all she wanted to do was scrub it away.

"Elena?" Jenna had wandered out into the hallway. "You okay?"

"You're back early," Elena noted, trying to hide the tears rapidly.

"Yeah, I ran into Logan Scumfell earlier," Jenna said, narrowing her eyes at the broken note in Elena's voice. "Thought I'd ought to beat a hasty retreat. Oh, but after I'd given him a dose of humble pie." She narrowed her eyes, concerned. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Me and Stefan just had a fight that's all," Elena said, aware her voice sounded two steps shy of a croak. "A pretty big one."

"Want to talk about it?" Jenna asked sympathetically. "I happen to write the book on failing relationships, so…"

She gestured to herself comically.

"It's fine, Jenna. I just need some time alone, you know?" Elena responded. "Just gotta wrap my head around a few things."

"Of course. Mopey time." Jenna nodded. "Wrote the book on that too."

A reluctant laugh forced its way out of Elena's mouth. It seemed Jenna never really fit the description of what an aunt was. The general description of an aunt was usually some fusspot in her late forties, usually wearing her hair up in a bun, often being caught muttering about her past regrets. Jenna, however, was laidback, chilled, and very modern, which fitted the description of a sister more than anything else.

"Where's Jeremy?" Elena had to ask.

"Up in his room. Think he's sulking because he can't hold of his little girlfriend, Vicki," Jenna explained in a hushed tone.

Elena felt a swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach. _Vicki…_ She was now a vampire, and ultimately an even bigger bitch than she had been before. All she could think about was making sure she stayed away from Jeremy, but what exactly was she going to tell him? She couldn't tell him to stay away from her without providing a legitimate reason why – he'd read her the riot act, before promptly telling her where she could stick her advice.

She bowled up the stairs, heading straight for her room. She shut the door and slammed herself against it, not sure who she was keeping out exactly: Jenna and Jeremy…or any other intruders.

Sliding down the door, she buried her head in her hands, her body shaking.

How could such things as vampires even exist?

But all the evidence was there.

Vicki's body that night in the woods, the _mark_ on her neck nobody had been able to explain.

Stefan's reluctance to talk about himself.

The undeniable feeling of fear she felt around Damon (and something else to boot).

All the sudden animal attacks in the news, which, now she came to think about it, only started when Stefan moved back into town.

_Oh, God._ How could she ignore everything? All the answers were there before her, like the clues left behind by a psychotic killer laughing at the chaos he'd created.

The sobs she'd been holding back suddenly wrenched themselves up and out of her body. The fear overwhelmed her, threatened to choke her, and she didn't know whether to feel angry that her security, her _town_ had been threatened by the presence of these _monsters_, or terrified that they could so easily come into her house and rip apart everyone she cared about.

Both emotions tore chunks from her. She felt angry that she felt betrayed, and betrayed that she was feeling angry. Stefan was supposed to be a way of starting again, a way of moving forward from all the depression and gloom her old life had contained. But no… He'd brought a new kind of darkness down onto her life.

Elena's head whipped up in alarm at the sound of a faint squeaking sound. She raced over to her window, checking it was shut. From the other room, she heard Jeremy stir, the sound of his bedroom door opening catching her attention.

Exhaling sharply, Elena wondered if every little sound was going to drive her crazy. She stared out of the window, not sure exactly what she was hoping to find to put her mind at rest.

Deciding sleep was probably the best thing she could do for her body, Elena turned around, only to find herself face to face with Damon, whose suave, cool expression didn't' seem to have changed since last she'd looked upon it.

Stifling a scream to avoid attracting attention, Elena tried moving past to run to the door, but he'd beaten her to it.

"Look, either I can say my piece and go, or we can be up all night carrying on with this ridiculous charade of you being afraid of me," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"It's not a charade," she spat.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "I can make you be honest with me, Elena. Would you prefer that?"

She stepped backwards, alarmed by the fact other than his demeanour, there were no outward signs to reveal what he was – he looked like the average human being. But his eyes – those electric blue eyes – seemed to reel off emotions so fast she couldn't single one out enough to determine what was really going on here.

"You're a – " she began.

"A vampire," Damon finished. "Very astute of you, Elena."

She narrowed her eyes, her fear turning rapidly into irritation. She did not appreciate his mocking tone.

"How old are you?" she challenged.

"Older than Stefan," Damon replied airily. "Yet I still remain the more good looking sibling."

"Give me a ballpark figure."

"Alright, the 1800s," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "There – you satisfied?"

"Why are you here?" was her next question.

"Because I'm _curious_," he said, moving in towards her, his eyes on hers, something passing between them she couldn't quite determine.

She couldn't quite work out why her head – the ever sensible part of her body – seemed to be conjuring up memories of Damon when he'd been just Stefan's charming, yet egotistical brother, as if it was desperate to cling to the naïve belief that all of this was some crazy dream.

"Curious about what?" she whispered, terror snatching the volume from her voice.

"You," he said simply. "Yes, I can't deny I have a certain fascination with tormenting and killing humans. That's inconsequential. But _you_ fascinate me."

She swallowed loudly, aware every sound in her room seemed to have been silenced. Damon's electric blue eyes seemed to sparkle with life as they honed in on hers. He wasn't touching her, but she could something pulsate between them, as if they had touched. She couldn't understand it.

"Leave me, please," she begged.

He smirked, his head tilting to one side.

"I'd like to point out your brother has just gone to greet Vicki," he said casually. "He'll invite her in, and then… Well, the rest of the story rests on your shoulders, Elena. Either I can take Vicki away, thus saving your pathetic brother's life, or I leave her here, and whatever happens will rest on you."

"You're a monster," Elena spat, no longer afraid, although she maintained a high level of caution.

"Perhaps, but at least I don't lie about what I am," he said, stepping forwards. "At least I don't lie about what I _want_."

His eyes honed in on hers again, keeping her pupils fixed solely on him.

"What do you mean?" she breathed, completely aware of him, aware of his every movement, however tiny.

He smirked, before running a hand through her hair, ignoring her shudders of revulsion.

"You're not running," he noted calmly.

"Because you'll let Vicki hurt my brother and Jenna," she responded.

"Really? Is that the _real_ reason you're still talking to me, as casual as you are?" he murmured, moving forwards even closer, lowering his face so it was level with hers.

Elena suddenly had no clue what was happening. Her mind had been distorted, shattered, every piece reflecting Damon's eyes. Every sarcastic response died on her tongue; speechlessness seemed to be her current condition. Something was keeping her this way, that much the sensible and resistant part of her mind was able to determine.

"Yes," she said quietly, sounding so childlike that she found herself unconvinced by her own piece of truth.

"So you don't desire me?" His voice sounded so beautiful. How had she not noticed? "You don't want to kiss me?"

"No…" she maintained, trying to sound strong, her efforts valiant but weak.

"You don't sound so sure of yourself, Elena," he said, his voice coy, and she was sure he knew exactly what he was doing. "Maybe you should kiss me. Just to get it out of your system."

"Piss off," she growled, the obscenity coming from nowhere.

"Gladly, my dear," he drawled. "But is that with Vicki, or without her?"

"I hate you," she snarled, finding the strength to snap herself out whatever stupid trance he'd put her under.

"Hate is _such_ a strong word, Elena," Damon said, pouting, placing a finger under chin, forcing her to look at him. "Would you like to amend that statement?"

His eyes honed in on hers for the third time, a wave of something (control?) washing over Elena, who suddenly found herself wanting to correct herself even though she knew she'd meant every word.

"I didn't mean to say that," she found herself saying.

"That's better," Damon purred with approval, his eyes alight. "Shall we kiss and make up?"

He was truly enjoying the power he held over her.

"No…" she said, without much conviction.

He stared at her, amusement quickly transitioning into concentration. She stared at him, unable to look away even though every part of her body was telling her to do so. She thought about Vicki and her brother, and fear tore through her indifferent expression, causing her to reach out and grab Damon's arm, a move which startled them both.

"Leave Jeremy and Jenna out of this," she begged. "Please… I know you don't give a damn about them, but the Damon I remember, the Damon I _want_ to believe was real, would give a damn about me. Do the hell with me what you want to, but leave them alone."

Damon shook off her grip, his lips curling with visible disdain as he whirled her round so he could pin her against the wall.

"You don't know me," he hissed, his lips against her ear. "You don't know a _damn_ thing about me."

"No," she said defiantly, pushing him away. "But I was starting to."

The mood effectively shattered, Damon narrowed his eyes, wondering why his every ploy into compelling Elena to kiss him, thus shattering Stefan's world forever, seemed to be failing. It was usually down to her; she'd make some sort of cutting, or emotional, response and it stopped him short.

It was funny – being around humans used to be about control and power, about knowing he had the edge and _using_ it.

Now, he found being around her reminded him of all the few and far between reasons he'd shoved to the back of his subconscious why being human had been the better life. Sure, you got hurt, and sometimes the pain drove you over the edge, but the feelings were real, and sure as hell weren't as strong as they were as a vampire.

And he knew what had almost happened the last time she'd pushed him to the edge of his emotions. He'd lost his temper and nearly killed her.

There was a small part of him – _very_ small; he was talking microscopic here – which would feel her loss, especially if he was the one to end her life. And it wasn't about her extraordinary resemblance to Katherine either, which was another page turner in his novel of a life.

"What?" Elena asked sullenly, noticing his gaze seemed to be contemplative.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Elena," he said, suddenly forthcoming with his words. "I lost control. Being what I am means every emotion under the goddamn sun is multiplied. I'm always on edge."

"Right… 'Cause you're always so calm and collective," she sneered.

"The Damon you knew before," he began, ignoring her sneering tone. "That was real – alright, he was putting on a good show, but that's as close to the human Damon you'll ever get to see. I always get what I want, Elena."

Was she imagining the underlining threat? She didn't like to think so. He was being honest with her – well, as honest as Damon got – and despite herself she was moved by it. Moved as she could've been given the circumstances.

"I want Vicki out of here," she said, swallowing loudly. "I don't want my brother being around her." And then, even more reluctantly, she found herself asking, "Where's Stefan?"

"Back in the Boarding House. Said something about giving you space," Damon drawled, waving a non-concerned hand. "I tend not to listen when he has his broody face on, if I'm perfectly honest."

He hesitated.

"Vicki was a mistake," he added. "A very stupid mistake."

She scrutinised him, her expression critical, her heart beat just a little slower now she'd had time to adjust to the horrifying thought that vampires existed.

"Why'd you make it?" she demanded coldly.

"Boredom," Damon admitted.

"Boredom?" Elena pinched the ridge of her nose. "Get out, Damon."

"Elena – " he began.

"You've done enough damage," she spat, the fury returning. "You've turned Vicki, you've attacked me – I swear to God, speaking civilly to you is killing me inside, when all I want to do is just…"

She made a violent gesture, not even realizing he'd gone long before she'd finished her speech. When she realized she was essentially talking to herself, she collapsed onto her bed, her hands clutching around her body, and felt this aching sort of loss. It wasn't just for the years of innocence not knowing such darkness lay in the crevices of the world, or for the moments of happiness she'd experienced with Stefan.

She felt like, for just one moment, she'd connected with Damon, if only on the strangest of scales. He'd looked into her eyes, letting a part of his humanity surface, and then she'd blinked, and the cold exterior had been back, keeping his true emotions at bay.

But she couldn't forgive what he'd done to her.

And she couldn't shake this feeling there was something more she wasn't remembering. Because her nightmares of a man with electric blue eyes sweet talking down a dark part had taken place before she'd found out he was a vampire, and even now she still couldn't work out what scared her most about him.

The fact that beneath his clothing there lay a cold, black heart of a monster.

Or the fact that there might've been the tiniest sliver of humanity in his bones, meaning he knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

All the time she lay awake staring into the darkness, it never occurred to her to question why it was Damon was dominating much of her mind rather than Stefan.

* * *

**A/n: Apologies for the lateness in updating this. I just have so many stories to update sometimes I lose track of some of the real gems I forget I have written lol. Anyway much of this chapter was inspired (not copied) by other people's work, so if you write any Vampire Diaries fics you're proud of, let me know! I love reading other people's work!**


	7. Here There Be Monsters

Chapter 7: Here There Be Monsters

* * *

_Dear Diary._

_I have so much to say, and yet words fail me. Imagine the worst kind of nightmare, the worst kind of darkness, and you will still not come close to describing the utter horror my life has been surrounded by. _

_Though my passion involves writing – or it used to, I can't really remember the last time it had any meaning in my life - somehow, I've never been a big believer in anything I see. Aliens, ghosts, monsters – they were all a part of the books I loved reading, never something to fear or prepare myself for. I remember my father used to quote Einstein, saying that logic only got you from A to B, but imagination took you everywhere. What I didn't imagine – couldn't imagine – was that it could take you somewhere dark and make it real._

_Damon and Stefan are vampires. And Damon hurt me – in more ways than one. And I think it goes a lot deeper than that, because there are holes in my memory that don't make sense, but I fear if I try and ask questions, I'm not going to like the answers. _

_I'm scared. _

_And the worst part is, I think there's a part of Damon – a part he's not showing – that knows exactly what he's doing. Sure, the revelations about Stefan make me feel like somebody's punched me hard in the gut, and my head is screaming to get out while I still can, but I feel like Damon is the worst part in all of this._

_After all, it's worse if somebody does something cruel and horrific and they know they're doing it, than if they did that same act without knowing, without realizing that such an act has consequences? _

Elena had to stop writing when her pen trailed off the page, her hand shaking violently. She breathed in and out, unsurprised when two frightened tears dribbled down her cheeks.

That's all she'd been doing over the weekend – crying, and writing, the latter of which seemed to be a more productive action.

She'd had endless calls and messages from Stefan – which she'd naturally ignored – but thankfully, he'd not tried to barge his way in. In fact, it almost confused her he'd not tried to make physical contact with her. She had no idea how she would've explained to Jenna and Jeremy that she didn't want Stefan anywhere near her, not without telling them a segment of the truth, and even that was dangerous.

The worst part was the fear, combined with the waiting. _Waiting_ for something bad to happen, for Damon to come swarming in with his charm, his demands simple, his expectations high, and her resistance low. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to hold in its contents. She'd not strayed out of the house, and whilst normally Jenna and Jeremy would've found that odd, luckily Jeremy didn't really seem to give two hoots what she did these days, and Jenna was easily convinced with a well thought of– and, let's face it, not exactly a stretch from the truth – lie about how this latest fight between her and Stefan had really got her down, and she just wasn't up to facing the world.

Elena pushed off her bed, glaring at the morning sun with irrational hatred.

How could something so bright, so _warm_, still exist in her now cold and dark world?

She traced the mark on her neck, her fingers trembling. She barely felt safe enough to leave her _room_, let alone elsewhere, and she knew she had to draw courage from somewhere before Monday dawned, as no excuse in the world would manage to get Jenna off of her back should she refuse to leave the house then.

"Have a nice sleep?" came a familiar taunting voice.

Elena flew backwards in alarm, her feet stumbling over a pile of clothing she hadn't gotten round to tidying away just yet. As she fell, she felt a rush of movement, before a hand entwined with hers, and she was promptly pulled to her feet, her eyes immediately falling into line with Damon's.

"Go away," she growled.

"Aw, that surely merits a thank you? I saved your life," Damon mocked, tilting his head and gazing at her curiously. "Tsk, so ungrateful…"

She lowered her head, every part of her trembling with fear.

"Either get out, or I'll set Jenna on you," she managed to force out.

"Hm, I somehow doubt that, considering you're intent on keeping your dear aunt out of this little mess," Damon replied, the threat vague, but she knew it was there all the same. "So, let's skip the part where you pretend you have leverage against me, and let's keep this civil, hm?"

"What are you doing here?" Elena spat, backing away from him.

"Doing what my brother can't." Damon kept his gaze even, controlled. "Checking up on you. Making sure you haven't opened your mouth and let certain _secrets_ slip."

"Who would believe me, even if I did tell someone?" Elena pointed out shakily.

"True. Fair point," Damon agreed.

He ignored her flinching look as he closed the gap between them, his fingers hesitantly circling the huge ugly bruise on her neck. She could almost – _almost_ – mistake the look in his eyes for regret. Luckily she knew better, although she couldn't shake the feeling perhaps there was more to Damon than she was willing to see.

"I didn't mean for that to happen," he told her, and it almost sounded sincere.

And that, in return, gave her mind enough room for doubt to crawl in, which was perhaps the most frightening part of this whole nightmare, the fact nothing seemed to make any sense anymore.

"Why? You've made it clear your mission is to hurt and frighten me," she spat, using her anger to cover up her doubt. "Don't bother saying sorry, Damon. We both know you don't mean it."

"I don't do sorrys anyway," Damon replied, grinning wryly.

He could hear her heart pumping, and, in another time, another place, it would've given him an enormous amount of pleasure to know his presence brought out that reaction in her. Right now, he could see she was genuinely frightened, and surely it would've been easier to compel her to forget. Wasn't that always the easiest choice, compulsion?

But, then again, since when had _easy_ been the _fun_ option?

"Please leave," Elena begged, hating how vulnerable she felt around him.

"Now where would be the fun in that?" Damon said, almost singing the words. "You and I both know, as much as you want to, you can't avoid me and Stefan forever. You'll have to leave the house sometime."

"Don't threaten me," she snapped, trying to worm her way past him so she could do something, preferably involving hurling some sort of heavy object in the direction of Damon's unnaturally perfect face.

"I don't make threats, Elena," he told her flippantly. "I make promises."

All of a sudden, he'd changed tactics, moving towards her bed, his eyes falling down on her diary.

"Ooh, literature," he began, reaching out for it.

_Smack!_

In a bold move – even for her – Elena had struck his hand away, breathing heavily as if she'd just figured out the stupidity of such an action.

"Dear, dear," Damon tutted, his face twisting with disapproval, although she thought she could detect some sort of mild amusement there as well. "Provoking a vampire? I thought you had more sense than that."

"That's my _diary,"_ she growled, finding strength in her anger. "Get the hell out before I do something – "

"Like what?" His sneer caused her to flinch. "What can _you_ possibly do to me? Your threats are empty, my dear Elena."

The colour drained from her face, as though this fact had just been made abundantly clear to her. She took a tentative step back, whirling around only to find he was right there, no longer smiling.

"Please…" she begged, trying to reach the human side she was _sure_ was there somewhere. "Leave."

He tilted his head fractionally, the corners of his lips turning upwards. Other than that, however, she couldn't see any flash of emotion which indicated what he was going to do next and, instinctively, she tucked her chin into her chest, folding her arms around her shoulders, trying to protect every naked part of her body he could tear into.

"I'm not going to feed on you," Damon chuckled, amused by her fear.

Elena looked up, her expression guarded.

"What _are_ you going to do?"

"Give you some advice," Damon said, which, naturally, completely threw her. "One, be careful who you invite in the house. Vampires have this nasty habit of being able to enter a house again and again once invited in." He flashed a smile at her. "And you were so kind enough to welcome me in that night, I just can't express my gratitude enough."

She closed her eyes, unable to believe her own stupidity.

"Two," he continued, his tone surprisingly gentle. "I don't want you to be afraid."

"Why? You're monsters," she spat.

"Because being afraid means you're going to be vulnerable," he snapped. "And you're going to need to be _strong_, Elena."

Elena's eyes pooled with surprised tears, and she found herself unable to react when Damon's fingers gently cupped her chin, lifting her head up so her eyes were in line with his.

"How can I be strong?" she forced out. "Vicki's a _vampire_. My boyfriend is a – a _monster._ You're – " She bit back a rising sob. "I thought you were my friend."

It was Damon's turn to look surprised.

"Friend?" he repeated, his expression guarded. "Why would you think that? You barely know me."

"I know. But I thought you were so charming that night. And you seemed to understand me," Elena confessed, a fiery flush colouring her cheeks. "And I thought I saw a kindred spirit in you, because I knew you'd lost someone too." She snorted, shaking her head at her own foolishness. "I suppose Katherine was someone you and Stefan tortured and killed, rather than dying in the nice little fire story you've cooked up between you."

Without warning, Damon had grabbed her by the throat, and slammed her against the wall, the veins around his eyes bulging into view.

"You do _not_ get to talk about Katherine like that," he snarled. "You know _nothing!"_

A frightened mewling sound left Elena's lips before she could stop it. She felt herself start to shake, her eyes closing as she prepared herself for the intense pain which was surely about to come.

But when she opened her eyes, Damon had gone, the only reminder he'd been here was the faint pain along her neck where his hand had been.

Unable to come up any kind of reaction, Elena felt her legs buckle before she crumbled to her knees, her head bowing down and touching the carpet, harsh sobs ripping themselves out of her.

_I feel like Damon is the worst part in all of this. _

Guess she was right after all.

D&E&D&E

Damon was back at the Boarding House within minutes, a glass of his finest Bourbon immediately in his grasp. After taking a moment to deliberate, he ignored Vicki, who looked _extremely_ sulky after discovering sunlight actually could _kill_ her, and so had stretched herself on the couch, loud music blaring out of her – Well, Damon's – IPod he'd lent to her just to shut her up, and instead made his way to the cellar, where he could hear Stefan grunting and groaning.

"Oh, pipe down, little bro," he chirped. "I've come to set you free."

"What did you do to Elena?" came Stefan's furious response.

"Nothing… Yet," Damon replied, rolling his eyes. "But she doesn't really seem to think much about your lifestyle, so I think you have some serious damage control to fix."

"Damon – " Stefan wheezed, still weakened by the daily doses of vervain his brother had given him.

"Relax. I've got your back," Damon said, opening the door, allowing Stefan to stagger out. "I hope you spent your time-out wisely. I can get you anytime, anywhere, and if you piss me off again, well, you'll end up in here for longer. Keeping the vervain stash quiet? Shame on you…"

The main advantage of releasing Stefan now was that he was too weak to fight back, but of course there were other advantages too, such as the fact it gave Damon an enormous amount of vindictive pleasure to see his self-righteous brother weakened to the point of collapse.

"I…will…kill…you," Stefan spat, his eyes flashing with fury.

"Good luck with that," Damon drawled, amused. "Meanwhile, I shall set about a less _impossible_ task, and go and deal with our guest."

"Deal with as in…?"

"I thought I'd read her a bedtime story," Damon said sarcastically. "She's a menace, Stefan. She needs to be put down."

Stefan shook his head.

"You've truly gone past the point of no return," he admonished solemnly.

"Let's not forget who set me off on this path with promises of power and women," Damon reminded him darkly. "So don't judge me for a lifestyle you were once arrogant enough to claim yourself king of, okay?" He eyed Stefan up and down. "Oh, and go and get showered will you? Your crippling self-loathing is seriously stinking up this place."

Stefan groaned, but hobbled in the direction of the stairs, leaving Damon alone with his thoughts. He'd tried to block out the sound of Elena's heavy sobs, God help him he'd tried, but either he'd gone soft, or this was fate's subtle revenge, by getting him to slowly care for Katherine's lookalike. For the sake of his sanity, he sincerely hoped it was neither.

Then again, after having the world's longest string of continuous bad luck – it had to be nearing the 150 year mark – he wasn't really expecting the situation to change any time soon.

Realizing the thirst in the back of his throat had to be fulfilled now rather than later, he

D&E&D&E

Elena sat at the dinner table – briefly grinning at the sound of Jenna cursing in the kitchen – waiting with Jeremy, both of them sharing the odd look of furtive anticipation as they waited for Jenna to complete her "experiment" they hoped would turn out to be lunch.

"I hope this isn't anything like your attempt at making spaghetti," Jeremy called, shaking his head at the memory.

"Some would call that a disaster," Jenna muttered. "I, however, like to see it as a new and creative way of cooking pasta."

"What, by completely disintegrating it?"

"Who knew pasta couldn't be cooked in a microwave?"

Elena gave a shaky smile, unable to concentrate, her body flinching at every little sound, something which Jeremy didn't fail to notice.

"What's the matter with you?" he questioned, noticing she seemed to be pale faced and taut in her seat.

"Nothing," Elena mumbled.

"Seriously – I know Jenna's cooking leaves something to be desired, but you're acting like you're waiting for your own execution."

"I'm fine," she snapped. "Okay?"

"Okay…" Jeremy said, holding his hands up in a surrender type of motion. "Just don't say I don't ask."

"What is this all in aid of, Jenna?" Elena asked, frowning with curiosity. "You usually leave dinner to us."

"Which is usually the option that keeps us alive," Jeremy joked.

Jenna popped her head into view, mostly to scowl at Jeremy for making humour at her expense.

"Seriously, guys, I'm your guardian, and I can't even cook," she exclaimed. "I'm just waiting for the social services to come and rip you guys from me. Forgive me if I'm trying to better myself for you guys."

"It's a guy isn't it?" Elena guessed shrewdly.

Jenna blushed.

"Logan is coming to dinner," she said resignedly.

"No! The guy treated you like _crap_, Jenna," Elena gasped, allowing herself to be drawn into this soap-opera type of drama, just to let herself be distracted from the burning issue her mind couldn't let go. "Why are you letting him worm his way back into your life like this?"

"The guy is surprisingly charming," was Jenna's brilliant response. "What can I say? Plus it helps that the years have been very, _very_ kind to him."

"Gross," Jeremy commented, looking disgruntled.

"Not gross," Jenna corrected. "And…shut up. I can't help it if that weasel possesses a ridiculous amount of charm."

Jeremy suddenly wrinkled his nose.

"Is that lunch I smell burning?"

Jenna ran back to the kitchen, a stream of obscenities escaping her mouth.

Jeremy looked at Elena.

"Want to skip lunch?"

"Couldn't agree more," she agreed, unable to resist smiling. "Sorry, Jenna."

"Fine," Jenna grumbled. "Go. Leave the captain to sink with her ship. I see how this works. Just don't be back too late, guys. Dinner – if I can actually cook it – will be at about half six."

"Sure." Jeremy gave her a mock salute. "I'm guessing you'll need to make extra, for the flying pig that'll inevitably turn up?"

He laughed loudly and neatly dodged an oncoming tea towel Jenna had scrunched up and lobbed in his direction.

Elena shook her head and smiled fondly, her smile fading as she realized she couldn't exactly retreat to her room again without seeming like a recluse. But what was she going to do? Caroline was preoccupied with planning something or the other, and Bonnie had been pretty much AWOL since she'd sent an ominous text message saying she was spending the weekend around her Grams' house.

There was only thing to do.

She needed to confront Stefan, find out the truth for herself. Truthfully, her mind still flinched at the word _vampire_, but now curiosity was mingled in with the terror. She had to learn what she was up against, what she had to protect all give her friends from, and she knew Stefan would tell her if she made him.

There was also the matter of Vicki to consider. How could she protect Jeremy, when all Jeremy wanted was to see Vicki? How did she walk that fine line between protecting and interfering?

She grabbed her coat and headed out of the door before she could change her mind.

Before she knew it, she was in front of the Boarding House, sitting behind the wheel of her car more afraid than she'd ever been before. She couldn't quite pinpoint where the fear came from, whether it came from fear that one of the brothers would hurt her, or the fear that somewhere along the way, she was going to hear stories she'd rather not have known about.

Elena opened the door of her car, stepping out and storming across to the front door, determined to gather up as much courage as she possibly could because, God help her, she was going to need it.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door, unsurprised by the fact the door seemed to open by itself. Stefan and Damon weren't exactly prone to locking their doors, she'd discovered, and know she knew the reason why – it wasn't like they had anything to fear if someone broke in.

"Stefan?" she called, sounding nervous. "Stefan, are you home?"

She walked inside, her heart in her mouth. Each step she made was a tentative one, as though she believed if she made one wrong move, everything would come crashing down on her.

She felt a sudden breeze, and she turned back, sure she'd shut the door. Yes, she had, she could see it was shut. _So what was causing that sudden breeze?_ She wished she could blame it on an open window – something normal at least – but every part of her knew that wasn't the answer at all.

"Stefan?" she began again, her voice trembling with fear.

"Guess again," another voice purred.

Elena turned around so fast her neck made a loud cricking noise, but though she could recognize the voice, she couldn't identify where it was coming from.

"I love this whole speed thing," Vicki stated, laughing with a wild, almost hysterical kind of delight.

"Vicki…" Elena reached out her hands, showing her she came in peace. "I'm here to help. Let me talk to you. Let me help you."

"Help?" Vicki came sauntering into view, tossing back her curly hair with visible contempt. "Oh, sure, because I'm the girl who always needs to be _saved_. I'm always the girl who screws up so bad she needs someone to come and fix her. Well, guess what, Elena - _screw you!_ I don't need your help. I know you've always looked down on me, disregarded me as nothing more than Jeremy's _dealer_, a lowlife who deserves exactly what she gets, but I'm more than that, and your baby brother gets that about me."

"No." Elena shook her head vehemently. "That's not true. I've never said – "

"You didn't have to say it." Vicki momentarily looked hurt, her eyes cold and distant. "People just don't get me. I can handle that. What I can't handle, is you messing my brother around."

"Matt knows the situation," Elena began.

"Does he?" Vicki spat, looking furious. "Because it seems like maybe he doesn't. He always wears those puppy dog eyes whenever he's around you, so it seems like maybe he'll never be over you."

"Well, that's not my problem. He has to find a way to move on," Elena said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Typical Elena Gilbert response," Vicki responded contemptuously. "The problem _must_ lie with the Donovans. After all, it's not _your_ fault you ripped my brother's heart out and stomped on it."

"I – "

Vicki blurred in front of her.

"It seems the only way of getting your attention is to be that much stronger than you," she continued.

Her hand whipped out, grabbing Elena's throat before promptly slamming her against the wall, the action in question causing a picture to crash onto the floor.

"Vicki – " Elena gasped, unable to breathe. "I… can't… "

Suddenly, Vicki was pulled off of her, revealing an angry Stefan, a Stefan who'd managed to regain his strength after some rigorous hunting in the woods – hunting animals, naturally.

"Vicki!" he yelled, shaking her. "You don't just go attacking innocent people. Try and _control_ yourself."

"Why? I'm a vampire now. Damon said I can do whatever the hell I want," Vicki screamed, looking extremely angry.

"Vicki, you're only this way because you need _blood,_" Stefan reasoned, gradually calming down. "Let me help you get some."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted the door closing, and gave a resigned sigh, his ears able to detect Elena's sobs even as she ran away from the house, his mind not even daring to conceive the hope – however faint it had been – that she might just have come round to give him chance to explain.

* * *

**A/n:** **Apologies for the lateness in updating this. I had actually forgotten this in all the excitement of Vampire Diaries's third season! :P It feels strange revisiting season one again, when there was no talk of sacrifices and the sexual tension between Damon and Elena was only given to us in small doses in amidst the Stefan/Elena fluffiness/drama. Remember those days? :P Anyway, apologies for the lateness, and I shall try and update as quickly as I can, although I can make no promises. :D**


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